Tales of Viola
by Mike AZ 2
Summary: A blond youth stuck in his father's shadow, a roving Adventurer, a pair of brave siblings, a mysterious boy, a troubled girl, and conflicting nations seeking peace. As they meet friends and/or family, they uncover many mysteries and confront a shadowy presence that threatens their world. Story may be better then summary. Rated T.
1. Chance Meeting at Questa

Tales of Viola

Hi, Mike AZ 2 here, just doing a Tales of fic based on a RP forum that Fishyputnam and I were working on with Darkmoom, Digitalmaster and Hishibi until it was deleted. The story was so good though that I wanted to do this.

This is technically a crossover between Tales games, but the story is original. There will be character appearances and references from the series itself, however. Oh, and the title is subject to change if necessary. Some of the OCs here aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them. Aster and Rise were borrowed from Digitalmaster 1100, Savannah and Malin are Castle Darkmoon's OCs, Chris and Barry are Fishyputnam's, and Raven and Shin are Hishibi's.

For references, thoughts are ', spoken words are indicated by ", and _ can mean either a change in character point of view or time lapses.

Disclaimer: The Tales of series of games were developed by Namco, at least Graces was as far as I know.

* * *

Prologue: Chance Meeting at Questa

In the peaceful town of Questa in the ancient kingdom of Viola, a young man with blond hair, blue pants and a yellow shirt browsed the local shops as he explored the town. The youth's name is Trent, son of a renowned knight from the capital city of Viola.

'Man, the shops don't seem to sell the weapons I'm looking for. Oh well, I'll go check out the town, it's not as big as my hometown, but still big enough' he thought.

Trent walked around Questa, taking in the sights and visiting the shops and talking with the local villagers. The blond eventually came to a fortune teller's shop and looked around. An Elven woman owned the shop, she spoke as soon as he entered"Welcome, you're the first customer I had in a while."

Trent hadn't met many people of other races before, but he acknowledged her"Hi."

The woman put a hand on her crystal ball as she askedl"Care to have your fortune told? It's not free, but it's merely fifty gald."

Trent shrugged"Sorry, but I was just looking around. I'm not interested right now."

"Then go, I'm afraid I'm in no mood to have anyone loitering in my shop" said the elf woman.

Trent apologized and left the shop. The blond went to the center of town, thinking on what to do next.

* * *

In another shop in town, another young man with brown hair, bluish-green eyes and a brown tunic with pants had just purchased a weapon, thinking'someone might like this.'

The brunette man's name was Christopher James Putnam, he went by Chris for short. Chris had just arrived at Questa a while ago, and was wondering aimlessly through Viola Kingdom. While exploring the town, he came the square and saw the blond man'he looks friendly enough.'

Trent saw the brunette man walking towards him as he was passing through and stopped"Hey there, who are you?"

"Christopher James Putnam, but you just call me Chris. Nice to meet you" grinned the man, extending his hand for Trent.

The blond shook his hand"I'm Trent, where are you from?"

"I just go wherever the wind takes me" replied Chris.

"Really? I had only just arrived at Questa this morning, I usually don't go far from town though" shrugged Trent.

The brunette looked surprised"Why don't you?"

"I've heard rumors of monsters in the fields, I hadn't found a weapon when I went to shop for one earlier" replied the blond.

Chris grinned as he took his dualblade out, separated it into two and proffered one half to his new friend"I think I know where I'm going. You up for a little monster hunting?"

Trent grinned back as he accepted the weapon"Why not? Let's go."

"Great, let's head on out. My friend will find us soon" said Chris.

"Who's your friend?" inquired Trent.

The brunette replied"He's a member of the Ursan tribe, we'll see him as soon as we're out of town."

The two men headed towards the southern gate, the blond having no idea what adventures were about to unfold for him. As they left Questa, Chris held a dagger behind his back for a small bear-like figure who jumped from the nearby bushes, much to Trent's surprise, and received the dagger"Gee, this isn't my dagger, but thanks Chris."

Trent was astonished to see the tiny creature, who addressed him"Hey, my name is Barry, how are you?"

"Er, I'm Trent. I was surprised to see someone jump out of the bushes" said Trent, nervously.

Barry shrugged"Sorry, I look similar to some monsters, so I have to hide. It's nice to meet a new friend, Trent."

"Well, we all set, let's go" grinned Chris.

* * *

My apologies for this short prologue, but this is the best I can do for now. The next chapters should be longer, I promise.

At any rate, this is more of a secondary project, I may not update this one very often. My primary fics at the moment are Rune Factory: Until the End of Time, Dragon Quest IX: Arianna and Trent's Journeys, and Kingdom Hearts Dissidia: Dawn to Twilight, if you'd like to look at those.

Please feel free to review.


	2. Strangers in the Woods

Here's the next chapter, it should be longer then the previous one. Oh, and to avoid confusion, Aster in this fic is not the same Aster from Tales of Symphonia, though I don't know if he was in Dawn of the New World or it's predecessor. The character Aster in this fic is an OC I borrowed from Digitalmaster 1100.

Disclaimer: Namco Bandai developed the Tales of series of games. And as redundant as it sounds, some of the OCs featured here aren't mine either.

* * *

Chapter I: Strangers in the Woods

Trent and Chris traveled south of Questa, taking in the sights as they walked and made small talk. The blond noticed that his companion evaded the question when asked about his hometown, but thought nothing of it.

The fields of Viola Kingdom were peaceful, despite the rumors about the monsters in the area. Trent glanced at a nearby hill and spotted something small moving. Without giving it a thought, he raced upward, followed by his two companions. At the top were two Bee monsters accompanied by a Slime.

Taking up his borrowed blade, Trent lunged at one Bee and brought it down with a thunder attack"Lightning Strike!"

"Sonic Thrust!" Chris had pointed his blade at the Slime and staggered it with a wind-based arte. Barry defeated the other bee by tossing his dagger upwards and compelling it to land on the monster.

"Demon Fang!" Trent unleashed the magical attack wave on the slime, which melted into thin air from the pressure of the attacks.

"Not bad" remarked the brunette.

Trent dismissed his borrowed sword"You're a great fighter, where did you learn that Arte?"

"I'm self-taught, which I had to be in order to defend myself. It's the best thing to do when traveling by oneself. By the way, it's cool you could use elemental artes" smiled Chris.

Trent shrugged"Are Elemental Artes that rare? I learned the way of the Spellblade from my uncle and read about ancient elemental sword artes. He's my mother's brother, and a great teacher, no one has seen him for a while though."

"Elemental Artes are pretty rare in swordsmen, I like the common term Magic Swordsman myself, but Spellblade has a nice ring to it" grinned Chris.

Trent glanced towards a nearby forest"Well, I don't know about you, but I have a feeling I should explore the forest to the south of here. What do you think?"

"Fine by me, let's go" smiled the brunette.

The southern forest was mildly thick, but not so thick as to blot out the sun's rays. The two men headed for the woods, unaware of what they might find. As they entered, the blond glanced around"What do you think we'll find here?"

"No idea, there's a river nearby, but let's watch ourselves. Slimes tend to hang around water, beyond that, I can only guess" shrugged the brunette.

"Huh? Hey, guys, look out!" squeaked Barry, seeing a wolf and two slimes emerge from the darkness of the forest.

"Demon Fang!" "Shadow Fury!" The artes killed one slime and injured the other. While Barry finished off the other slime with a Dagger Rain technique, the wolf lunged at Trent. The blond dodged the monster and finished off the wolf with Lightning Strike.

"You weren't kidding, let's explore further shall we?" said Chris.

* * *

Farther into the woods, two young adventurers were walking alongside the river. One is a young man with blue eyes, black hair and simple traveling clothes. His companion, a blond girl with similar-colored eyes and a white dress with a yellow blouse stopped when they saw the two young men"Aster."

"Huh? Oh, hey, there are people over there" grinned her male companion.

The four stopped when they came upon each other, Barry behind the tree to be on the safe side. Chris grinned at the two"Hey there, I'm Chris. Who might you two be?"

"I'm Aster, and this is my sister Rise" replied the darker haired adventurer.

"Hello" said the girl shyly.

The blond swordsman introduced himself"I'm Trent, we were just passing through."

"So are we, we were in the middle of delivering a package to the capital from Questa" said Aster.

Chris cocked his head"Which capital, exactly?"

"Our destination's the castle town of Viola, we were headed south" replied Aster.

The other brunette shrugged"You might be headed the wrong way, unless you were going to Baske, which is the capital of the Anorab Republic."

"What? We're going the wrong way?" squeaked Rise.

Aster shrugged"Ah, that's no big deal, which way is it?"

Trent jumped into the conversation"The castle town of Viola is north of here. If you want, we can go with you."

"We don't need help, but it's great to have more companions" grinned Aster.

"All right, let's go" smiled Chris.

The four travelers turned and headed to the northern forest exit. Chris turned to address Aster"Mind if we look at what's inside the package?"

"Why not?" Aster pulled a small box out of his bag and opened it, revealing a rainbow-colored orb.

"It's beautiful" remarked Chris.

Aster nodded"Yeah, it's a mysterious artifact. Could be related to a lost civilization or something."

Hidden behind the trees, voices could be heard"Hey, boss, did you just hear?"

"Of course, let's steal the orb and snatch that pretty girl" sneered the other voice.

"What was that?" Aster drew a combat knife while Rise took out a battle fan.

Trent readied his weapon"Hate to be suspicious, but there may be bandits within the vicinity. Dunno if they're this stupid or plain greedy, one must wonder why someone would choose an early grave over honest work."

"Truly unfortunate" remarked Chris, turning his half of the dualblade into a pistol which he fired into the air, signaling Barry. The Ursun jumped out of his hiding spot as a group of bandits attacked and spiked one with a rain of blades.

Aster jabbed at one with his combat knife, wounding the man enough for Rise to strike with her battle fan. While the thug fell dead, Trent dueled two more. The blond swordsman took one out with Demon Fang and barely managed to block as the other bandit struck with his blade.

"Shadow Wrath!" Chris finished off the bandit attacking Trent while Aster, Rise and Barry wiped the floor with most of the rest of the bandits.

"You little brats! We'll be back!" shouted the Bandit leader as he fled.

Trent smirked as he put away his weapon"That wasn't so hard."

Barry flushed as he saw Rise"Hi."

"Aww, cute" said Rise, scooping the small Ursun into her arms and hugging him.

"Heh, I'd say we're all getting along just fine" smirked Chris.

Barry glanced at Chris as he flushed slightly"Uh..."

"Sorry, not helping you this time. Bet you regret eating my food last night, eh?" said Chris.

The group continued out of the forest and back towards Questa. Trent addressed the shy blond girl"So where are you and Aster from?"

"We're from the frontier village of Troia. It's smaller then Questa, but it provides most of the world's fish" said Aster.

"Troia? I haven't been there in a while" remarked Chris.

The afternoon passed as they reached Questa's south gate. Trent glanced at the setting sun and addressed Rise and her brother"We might want to stop for the night at the inn, unless you and Aster are in a hurry to deliver the orb, Rise. In which case we could still reach Viola's inn within a couple hours."

"It's okay, we can stop for the night" replied Aster.

Rise put Barry down as Chris said"Barry and I will camp out here, I have more room to train outdoors. Besides, Ursun aren't accepted in most human settlements."

"Okay, good night Chris" said Trent.

The blond accompanied Rise and Aster into Questa and headed for the nearby inn. Aster spoke as they entered"I'll pay, our treat."

The innkeeper greeted them"Welcome, you all staying the night?"

"Yes" replied Aster, putting down some gald.

The innkeeper smiled"Hope you have a good night's rest."

The three went upstairs from the lobby to the bedrooms. Rise had one room all to herself since she was a girl, Trent and Aster went into a room that had two beds. Before going to bed, Trent glanced at Rise"Good night."

"Good night Trent, good night Aster" said the blond, shyly.

The night passes without incident.

* * *

How's this for another chapter? I know I said this would be my secondary fic, but this chapter ought to make up for the short prologue.

Oh, and if I was a bit off with Aster and Rise, I apologize. I kind of forgot how they were described in the old Tales of Roleplaying forum. My third OC from the deleted forum, Alexander will be in the next chapter. As a matter of fact, he'll be considered new since I havan't used an OC by that name yet in any of my fics. I may even be able to squeeze in Hishibi's OC Shin and Castle Darkmoon's OCs Malin and Savannah. I'll need to think this through, though.

When it comes to artes, I may or may not have to make them up myself. I had no trouble so far with Chris and Barry's artes, despite the fact I am only borrowing them.

By the way, did anyone catch the slight Tales of Graces reference? Well, it's not really a reference, but more of a easter egg. Anorab is Barona spelled backwards. Though Viola is one of the main areas for this fic, there will be other nations. Oh, and the location names weren't entirely my idea. Please excuse the Final Fantasy IV reference.

I seriously might not update this one for a while after this, hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Please review if you'd like.


	3. Viola

Okay, here's the next chapter. I just remembered that Alexander is actually an OC I am using in a Dark Cloud/Atelier Iris crossover fic, sorry. Speaking of OCs, Raven, Shin, Savannah and Malin will be in the next chapter.

Details in this chapter and the next may be a bit off because I don't remember the exact names and descriptions for some of the characters that were used in the deleted forum so far. Just letting you know.

I'm thinking about which Tales of Graces and Tales of Symphonia characters to include and what their roles should be in the story. Though it's a crossover between Tales of Graces and Tales of Symphonia, I may even think about adding some characters from Abyss and Phantasia.

Disclaimer: Graces, Symphonia and all the other Tales of games are the property of Namco Bandai. Some of the OCs included aren't mine either.

* * *

Chapter II: Viola

The following day the small group made ready to continue on to Viola. Chris was already at the lobby when Trent, Aster and Rise got dressed and went downstairs"Good morning sleepy heads."

"Morning Chris, morning Rise" yawned Trent.

Rise shyly murmered"Morning."

"All right, if we're ready, let's head on to Viola Capital" grinned Chris.

The other brunette nodded"You bet."

The group bought a light breakfast at the parlor before heading out of town once more. Barry was waiting at the north gate, which they took out of Questa and on to the capital.

"So, um... what's Viola like?" inquired Rise in a soft voice.

Trent smiled"I was born in Viola's Capital. It's a big, prosperous castle town mostly known for its scholarships. There is also a powerful order of knights who protect the capital."

"Sounds amazing, I'll say that" grinned Aster.

The trip lasted another hour or so before the group came up to the gates of a huge, majestic castle town. The guard at the gate, a young man in his twenties acknowledged them"Welcome to Viola."

"Hey, it's me, Trent" spoke the Blond.

The guard smiled"I know who you are, you and your companions may proceed."

"Thanks, Elliot" said Trent.

"So which way is the castle?" inquired Aster.

Trent replied as he continued to walk"It's at the far north end of town, there is a shopping district to the left. To the left of the castle is Viola Institute, it's where the kingdom's best scholars do all kinds of research."

"Interesting, you sure know a lot about Viola" remarked Aster.

"I grew up here, you know. I was a candidate aspiring to become a knight like my dad, but he said I still had a lot to learn. But no big deal, heck maybe I'll see my father while we're at the castle" shrugged the blond.

Chris grinned"Okay, then. Barry and I will do some shopping while you go about your business, we'll meet back at the square when you're done."

"Okay" acknowledged Trent.

Aster, Rise and Trent trekked towards the castle until they came to the gate, a knight in his mid-thirties stood guard"You have business here?"

The blond nodded"My name is Trent. My companions are Aster and Rise, we came here with a package from Questa for the king. While I'm at is, is Sir Alexander here?"

The knight blinked as he recognized the speaker"Hm? Oh, you're Sir Alexander's kid. You and your companions may pass. I don't know if Captain Alexander is present at the moment, but his quarters are at the barracks at the far west side of the castle. The throne room is on the second floor."

"Thanks" said Trent, leading his two companions into the castle. The inside of the ancient stone building had a luxurious blue rug and a diamond tile floor which stood out from the surrounding walls.

"It's sure beautiful in here" whispered Rise.

Trent led his companions up a set of stairs and down a hallway to the north of the top of the steps. Aster could not help but wonder"The place is amazing, but how is it you knew the guard at the entrance and the gatekeeper at the town's entrance?"

"My father's a knight in case you hadn't heard" replied the male blond.

Trent came to a set of double doors and turned to address Aster"Mind if I accompany you in?"

"No problem" replied the dark-haired brunette.

The three went towards the throne, which is a stone's throw away and knelt before the king: a middle-aged man with dark brown hair, blue eyes, royal garments and a crown on his head. Trent addressed the man while still on his knee"Greeings, your highness."

The king acknowledged the male blond"Trent? My, it's been a long time, your father introduced you while you were still a lad if I recall correctly. I trust everything is going well?"

"Yes sir" replied Trent, standing up.

Aster and Rise stood up as well. The dark-haired Adventurer spoke"Your highness, I am Aster Beovule. My sister Rise and myself brought a package, it's from Duke Zhane of Questa. Trent helped us deliver it safely"

The king responded"Ah, that's a pleasant surprise. Show me what you brought."

Aster pulled out the rainbow orb and handed it over. The king took it carefully into his hand"Hm, this artifact looks as though it may belong to an ancient civilization. I'll have a Messager thank Duke Zhane for it."

"Is it from an ancient civilization?" wondered Trent.

The king replied"I don't know for certain, that's why I will have it sent to the institute. I'm sure the kingdom's finest scholars can help determine the orb's origins." He then turned to address a guard who is standing by his throne"Bring our guests their reward, 1500 Gald should suffice."

"Yes, your highness" nodded the guard, heading for the Treasurey.

"While I'm at it, is my dad here? I was hoping to speak to him while we're here at the castle" said Trent.

The king nodded"He just returned from a diplomatic mission at the Elven woodland kingdom to the north of here. He reported to me shortly before you arrived at my throne room and is currently recupperating in his quarters."

"Thank you, your highness" said Trent as the guard returned with a sack of gald.

Aster accepted the gald and turned to the king"thanks."

"You need not thank me. Oh, and you may explore some parts of the castle, but there are restricted areas. Keep this in mind" responded the king.

Aster, Rise and Trent left the throne room and headed back downstairs.

"Well, I'm going to speak to my dad. Are you two coming?" asked Trent.

"Why not? I always wanted to meet a real knight" said Aster, excitedly.

Rise facepalmed at her brother's antics"Brother, please try to act accordingly while we're here."

"I know, I know" shrugged Aster.

The three headed down the western corridor on the first floor and straight until they came to a door at the end. On the other side was a small chamber with multiple doors, Trent recognized it as the barracks. The middle door led to a training room while the rest of them had the Knights' quarters. Heading to one of the doors, Trent knocked.

"Who's there?" called a voice.

"Dad? Its me, Trent" said the male blond.

The door opened, revealing a man in his mid-forties. He wore black pants, a brown jacket over a green tunic, and had light brown hair. The man smiled"Trent, good to see you here. Please come in."

Trent, Aster and Rise followed the man inside his quarters, which consisted of a bed, a table and a small kitchenette. The man addressed Aster and Rise"You two are my son's friends, I presume? My name is Alexander, a Captain in the king's knights."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir. I'm Aster and that's Rise" said the younger brunette, informally.

Alexander nodded"So what's up?"

Trent sheepishly explained, his father is a somewhat busy man"I came with Aster and Rise to deliver a rainbow-colored orb to the king. How's mom doing? I wrote her a letter when I got to Questa the other day. She always seemed worried about you."

"Your mother understands what I do, but what about yourself?" said Alexander, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, I also helped Aster and Rise fight off some bandits in a forest south of Questa" said Trent, sheepishly.

Alexander sighed lightly"Hm, the forests had got more dangerous lately. You're fortunate to not get killed. So while we're at it, would you and your friends care to join me and your mother for dinner at home?"

"Yes, I'll do that. Aster, Rise, what do you think?" smiled Trent.

"We'd be honored" flushed Rise.

Trent addressed his father again"We'll take you up on the invite. There are two others who accompanied me to the capital, I'll go ask them if they'd like to come as well."

"I'll see you then, Trent. Aster, what exactly is this about a rainbow orb? I've never seen such a thing" inquired Alexander.

Aster replied"Dunno, but the king's sending it to the Institute for the Royal Scholars to study."

"I see, I hope the mystery is uncovered" said Alexander.

Bidding a quick good-bye, Trent and his two companions headed outside the castle. Chris and Barry were waiting for them at the town square, the brown-haired Adventurer grinned"Hey."

"Chris, Barry, how was your shopping spree?" greeted Trent.

Chris squared his shoulders"We didn't have a shopping spree, we had a hunting spree which was far better."

Trent shrugged"Aster, Rise and I met up with my father at the castle. He invited us for dinner, would you and Barry like to join us?"

Chris nodded"I don't mind, I trust your parents aren't wary of the Ursun?"

"My dad's pretty open-minded, and my mother is an understanding woman. They aren't judgmental about people or tribes they don't know about" explained the male blond.

The group headed for the residential district at sunset, taking the time to take in the sights of the castle town. Aster had distributed three hundred gald to each of his friends, keeping his own portion to himself.

"Here we are" said Trent, stopping in front of a medium-sized house at the end of the residential district.

Chris was impressed"I mean not to judge, but I'd say your family is quite wealthy."

Trent flushed as he led his friends inside. Alexander waited for them just at the entrance"Glad you can come, I appreciate you accepting the invitation."

The knight led them to the kitchen where his wife, a blond thirty year-old woman was cooking. The woman saw them from across the counter and spoke with a smile"Trent, Alex, welcome home."

Alexander nodded"How are you faring, Carolyn?"

"Quite well, thank you very much. Trent, are these your friends?" smiled the woman.

Trent nodded"Yes."

"I'm Christopher James Putnam. Our companions are Barry, Aster and Rise" grinned the brunette.

Aster acknowledged"Nice to meet you."

Rise shyly said"Hi."

'Aw, how cute' thought Carolyn, seeing the small Ursun. The woman addressed Trent and Alexander again"I thought I'd make some Sea Bream Porridge for dinner. I'll make some extra for our guests."

"Sounds good" grinned Trent, heading over to help his mother with the cooking.

"I wouldn't mind having some as well" said Aster.

A few minutes passed before the group sat at a large table in the dining room. Aster, Rise, Chris and Barry told Carolyn and Alexander how they met up with Trent as they all ate dinner.

"My, sounds like you've had quite the adventure, Trent. I'm glad you're okay" said Carolyn.

Trent flushed"Sorry if dad and I worried you too much."

"No big deal, you both are always keeping busy. Mothers understand these things, you know" whispered his mom.

Aster had already finished his portion of the porridge"Thank you for dinner."

"Not a problem" said Alexander.

Trent finished his bowl when he addressed his companions"I think I'll get ready for bed, would you guys like to stay the night as well? We have a couple guest room, but there is an inn at the shopping district."

"We'll take you up on your offer, thanks Trent" whispered Rise.

"Barry and I will camp outside as usual, it's easier to train and more comfortable out in my opinion" responded Chris.

"Okay, good night everyone" said Trent.

As the friends went to retire for the evening, Carolyn spoke with her husband"He sure made some nice friends, Alex. When do you think you'll let Trent finish his training and attain Knighthood?"

"Trent still has quite a bit to learn, but I'm sure he's got the right stuff" replied Alexander as he helped his wife clean up.

"I see. Well, it's getting late, shall we get some sleep, too?" grinned Carolyn.

Alexander smiled"Yes, dear."

* * *

Couldn't think of a better way to end this chapter. I know what I said about this fic being secondary, but I have a slight case of writer's block and don't know how each chapter should turn out.

There was hardly any action this time, but there will be some in the next chapter.

**Emil: Digital's OC has the same name as my double. Why doesn't he change it?**

**Aster: Get a grip you reject from Dawn of the New World!**

**Marta: (annoyed) Guys!**

**Christopher J. Putnam: Well, please feel free to review, guys. No unneeded flaming now, or big bad Sven Kelis is gonna get you.**

**Savannah: Hey! Leave me out of it.**

**Lloyd: You shouldn't just threaten people anyway.**

Okay, enough accidic jokes. Oh, and I don't really hate Emil, I like the protagonists of Symphonia's sequel. Like I said, please review if you'd like. The next four OCs will be introduced next chapter, as I already mentioned. I don't know when I will update this next, but stay tuned.


	4. Sven Kells

Another day and another chapter. Savannah, Malin, Raven and Shin will finally be introduced here. Here's another chapter now. There is quite a bit of jumping between characters in this chapter. Details may be a little off. If so, I apologize.

This chapter will focus primarily on Savannah, Shin, Malin, Alexander and Chris. Raven makes an appearence as well. Trent, Barry, Aster and Rise won't be around as much, but I will focus on both Trent's and Alexander's groups next chapter.

**Savannah: I wonder how this will turn out.**

**Malin: Maybe with you locked up.**

**Chris: Let's try to get along, okay?**

**Savannah: Don't listen to that grouch.**

**Mike: Let me just get on with the disclaimer, okay?**

**Trent: You do that.**

**Malin: These insufferable...!**

**Shin: Uh, what does insufferable mean?**

**Alexander: It means cannot be endured or tolerated.**

**Shin: Oh.**

Okay, guess I shouldn't do that anymore. Most of the OCs in this fic aren't mine, I'm borrowing them. Tales of Graces and Tales of Symphonia, along with their respective characters, locations etc. are the work of Namco Bandai.

* * *

Chapter III: Sven Kells

The next morning found Barry returning to the castle town on his own, Chris had left camp earlier that morning. It wasn't the first time the brunette warrior had gone to train or something, so the small Ursun wasn't worried. Today seemed to be an off day, but Barry could not place his paw on it. He simply continued to Trent's house and knocked on the door.

Trent opened the door"Morning, Barry."

"Good morning" said the Ursun.

The blond looked around"Where's Chris?"

"He left camp before I woke up, probably training or something" replied the small Ursun. Trent let Barry in and helped his mother prepare some toast and eggs for breakfast.

Rise glanced out the window at the morning sky while Aster addressed the others"What do you guys have in mind?"

Alexander, who had just finished eating an omelette, responded"I have to report to the king, soon. He may have another mission for me to do, I trust you all enjoyed your stay?"

"Yep" grinned Aster.

"Yeah" said Rise.

Trent, who is eating some toast, spoke up"Maybe I'll go for a walk around town. Aster, Rise, want to come?"

"Sure" said Rise, shyly.

"I'd like to come as well" grinned Barry, who was given a plate of eggs and bread by Carolyn.

Trent glanced out the door for a moment before addressing Alexander"Father, I don't mean to speak out of turn, but I'd like to try out for knighthood again sometime soon."

The older man pondered"It is not a decision to take lightly, a knight can only remain in the capital unless there is a war or mission afoot. Furthermore, your swordsmanship still needs improvement, remember this. I'll see you again, Trent, if fate allows it."

"Okay, good-bye father. Mother, sorry I have to leave so soon" said Trent, sheepishly.

Carolyn smiled"It is no trouble. Be careful out there, you two. And good luck to your friends, as well, it was nice to have company."

Trent, Aster, Rise and Barry set out towards the shopping district of Viola's Castle Town. Alexander kissed his wife goodbye and left shortly afterwards, unaware that he would be caught up in a series of surprising events.

* * *

Chris Putnam had taken to exploring the castle town as soon as he woke up and ate a small breakfast of fruit he had bought. The brunette warrior wandered through town, breathing in the fresh air.

At a nearby item shop, three bandits were accosting the owner, who was only a frail old woman. The bandit grinned"Ha, ha, this is just too easy."

Chris glanced in the direction of the voices and summoned his portion of the dualblade. Not more then a moment later, the bandits came running his way and were floored by a flurry of slashes and pommel strikes.

As soon as the thieves were knocked out, Chris took the items they stole and headed over to the old woman"You all right? I managed to get these back for you."

The old woman smiled"Thanks you, young man."

Chris smiled back for a moment"It was nothing, those rogues were hardly a challenge though. I like a good challenge, I barely broke a sweat taking down the brigands."

"Why not go to the castle and ask the knights if they'd like to spar with you? I'm sure they'll give you a good challenge" said the woman.

Chris thanked the shop owner again and left, hoping he didn't kill the men who accosted her'I hope the guys I beat up aren't dead, I just wanted to teach them that it's wrong to steal from helpless people.'

* * *

In a shadowed corner of the castle town, a woman with dark purple hair which covered the tips of her ears was walking around in thought'It's a marvelous day, so good that I want to get cash for the orphanage and earn myself some quick Gald.'

The woman, who had heard rumors that some adventurers delivered a powerful artifact to the king, pondered what she should do. With her altar-ego Sven Kells, which is the identity the collar on her neck allowed her to assume with some strange mechanism that changed her voice, she hatched a plan. If she could, the pointy-eared woman could steal the artifact and sell it to the black market.

'Hm, tempting ideas to be sure, but it sure wouldn't be worth risking being thrown in prison' thought the Half-Elf. Squaring her shoulders, Sven Kells strode through the town until she came upon three unconscious men. The woman frowned'What the heck? Someone seems to have had the nerve to beat up my friends.'

Glancing down the alleyway, she caught sight of a silhouette and thought'I'll simply track down whoever it is and get him back.' Holding a bow in one hand, Sven set off after the figure, bent on revenge.

* * *

Alexander was headed back to the castle when he caught sight of what looked like a thirteen-year old youth with red hair, brown eyes and what looked like a sword strapped to his back sitting on a nearby bench. The teen had a bluish T-shirt and black pants. The knight approached him and said"Hey, are you lost?"

"I guess" said the teen.

"What's your name? If you don't trust me, I am Sir Alexander of the king's royal knights" inquired Alexander.

The mysterious teen stood up and replied, not entirely understanding some of the older man's words"I'm Shin, I am looking for a ring."

Alexander was hardly surprised for some reason"If you're looking to buy one, there is an item shop in the shopping district west of here."

"I cannot buy it, the ring I'm seeking fits like a bracelet" said Shin.

"I see, I have to report to the king. if you'd like to come with me, we can help you" offered Alexander.

Shin beamed"Thank you Alexander of the King's knights."

As the two set off together to the castle, Shin was curious at the sights in Viola's castle town. The youth kept on asking"What is this?" and other such questions, much to Alexander's amusement.

"When we arrive, the king might post a bill at the Adventure Guild for someone to help find the ring you described" explained the knight.

"What's a guild? Is it food?" inquired Shin.

"Put simply, it's a group or organization that works together towards a common goal" replied the older man, patiently.

Shin's curiosity was piqued even more"Common goal? Like food?"

Alexander smiled amusingly"Not neccessarily, but everyone has to work in order to put food on their tables. The Guild hires Adventurers to perform quests posted by the townspeople, Nobles and the Royal Family also post bills there occasionally."

Shin nodded understandingly before reaching into a box labeled fragile"What's fragile? Is it food?"

Alexander quickly grabbed Shin's hand"Stay back, fragile stuff includes flower vases and other things that break easily."

"Aww" said the teen, disappointed.

* * *

Chris traveled to the gates of Viola Castle where a knight was standing guard, the brunette addressed him"Hey."

"What's your business?" frowned the knight, there was a bored expression in his eyes.

Chris smiled"Just wondering if you'd care to spar with me. I'm a skilled Adventurer."

"Hm? Oh, of course. I was getting bored just standing guard the whole day" grunted the knight, drawing his blade.

Chris summoned his own blade"At your ready." The two men lunged at each other, blades clashing in a friendly duel.

* * *

Inside the castle's Library, another young man was studying at one of the desks. The man had long light blue hair that was almost silver held up in a ponytail, he wore a white dress shirt, black dress pants and black shoes. He wore a white jacket closed over the shirt and wore glasses and a tie.

The youth studied his tome while reading other books before almost falling asleep. Forcing himself to stay focused, he thought'Get ahold of yourself, Malin. You know what Sis and your father would say"You've got a lot to learn if you are to become the prince's advisor when he becomes king."'

After he had finished studying for the day, Malin got up and walked all the way to the castle's kitchen. It was past breakfast and not quite lunch, but he felt a bit hungry and went to steal some food. His trip to the castle kitchen was uneventful and he went over to the fridge when he thought no one was looking.

As Malin almost broke the lock, a hand smacked his away and a voice cried out"What do you think you're doing!?" It was the castle's head chef, a woman who looked no older than thirty.

"..." Malin couldn't think of what to say, he knew what he almost did was inexcusable but hunger tended to drive people to do things they wouldn't normally do.

The chef sighed and said"You can have a muffin, I won't tell."

Malin nodded his thanks, took a muffin from the fridge and left the kitchen.

* * *

Sven Kells tracked Chris until she came to the castle gates, a devious thought crossed her mind'Two birds with one stone... I'll just climb up onto the roof, feather that guy and steal the arftifact while I am at it.'

The bandit used a grappling hook to climb up to the castle roof where she had a good view of the courtyard below. She could see the man who floored her companions sparring with a knight'Perfect.'

Brandishing her bow and notching an arrow onto it, she whispered a spell to cover the tip with fire and made ready to shoot. She hadn't counted on someone noticing it, however.

* * *

Malin exited the castle to find one of the knights sparring with a young brunette who didn't look much older than him. Deciding to stay and watch the duel, Malin finished his muffin when he caught sight of a strange archer standing on the roof above to the right.

* * *

Chris dueled with his sparring partner until he was disarmed"Man, you're good."

"You're not so bad yourself, you'll make a fine knight if you ever decide to join" acknowledged the knight.

A voice shouted at Chris"Watch yourself, you imbecile!"

Chris turned to see an arrow flying towards him and dodged. Malin rushed over to the center of the courtyard, turned to face the roof and uttered a quick spell to forcefully transport the archer from the roof onto the ground. Grunting, Sven Kells had fallen onto her face. Another knight and a red-haired teen came onto the scene, shortly.

"What's going on?" Alexander and Shin had shown up just in time to see the archer being dragged down by Malin's spell.

Sven Kells sighed as she got up"You... Who do you think you are?"

Alex gazed at the scene for a moment before saying"What's going on?"

Malin rushed over to Alexander. He was a noble and didn't know too much about the lower class, but he knew that killing and stealing are wrong. He hadn't known about Alexander, but he heard of the man"This woman almost killed someone. Should be locked up right away."

Alexander stepped forward a little"It wouldn't do to arrest someone without hearing the situation. Who are you and why on earth would you try to kill an innocent man?"

'Great, another "I want to protect everyone" knight' sighed Sven.

Chris smiled"It wasn't that bad, that wasn't the first time someone tried to take my life and won't be the last. It may have been because I did her friends in." Turning to the woman he said"Who might you be?"

Sven looked down after standing up to see that the special collar her father gave her had broken and sighed, it was pointless to give them her alias"It's Savannah."

"Savannah, huh?" Chris mussed. While they were talking, Shin had snuck into the castle.

Alexander glanced at his side and mentally cursed himself'I must be getting old.' He then proceeded to speak"Relinquish your weapon, you are to be taken under my custody and handed to the king. Chris, is it not? I need you to do me a favor and find Shin for me, he's a red haired teen."

Chris nodded"Sure thing" and entered the castle.

Savannah rolled her eyes and threw down her bow and quiver"My bow and grappling hook are on the roof, if you think you can retrieve them."

Alexander nodded curtly and turned to the other knight"Retrieve her bow and grappling hook and put her weapons in the armory."

"Yes, captain" said the younger knight, recognizing the insignia on Alexander's jacket.

Alexander escorted Savannah into the throne room. While Alex was at it, Chris had a hunch as to what to do and headed for the castle's armory. Malin, out of curiosity and wanting to see justice dealt to the archer, followed at a distance.

* * *

Shin, who had resumed his quest for the bracelet, walked upstairs through the castle. The guards were too busy patrolling the hallways, so the teen had gone down the second floor corridor and opened a set of double doors.

The throne room was up ahead, though Shin had no idea entirely what he was doing. Instead, the teen walked forward and onto the throne. Standing on his tip toes, he toppled backwards and fell on his back. Shin stood up, drew his blade and yelled angrily"Stupid Chair!"

* * *

Malin continued to follow from a distance as Alexander escorted Savannah to the throne room. Alexander spoke to the nearest guard"I have a prisoner, is the king presently in the throne room?"

"No, but his majesty will be back shortly" replied the guard.

Alexander nodded and headed down the north corridor. What he saw was a shock, Shin had his sword drawn and was brandishing his blade at the throne. Savannah took advantage while Alexander and Malin weren't looking and ran for the armory.

"Shin, get ahold of yourself" said Alex, grabbing the teen's arm.

Malin stood in the shadows of the doorway when he arrived, it was fun in his point of view to watch people make fools of themselves. This lasted for a moment before the king arrived at the throne room"What's the meaning of this?"

Alex and Shin stopped to look at the newcomer. Alexander bowed his head"King Irwin."

"My friend, I have had to deal with riots before, but a scuffle in the throne room is unheard of! I will allow an explanation, but first-" The king sat on his throne and addressed Shin"Who are you?"

The teen sheepishly put his blade away, running one foot on the floor as he said"Sorry... I feel off that chair and got mad. My name is Shin, sir."

The king nodded before addressing Alexander"Was there something you need to report to me? I returned from the institute."

"I caught a purple-haired archer on my way here with some help, a man was almost killed" replied the knight.

The king pondered, he'd seen a purple-haired archer on the wanted posters before"You don't say... Is it Sven Kells?"

Alexander shook his head"I'm not so sure, they do look identical though. Coincidence or no, I had to inform you. Shin, the teenage boy here, is looking for a bracelet that fits like a ring."

The king suppressed a chuckle"That's like asking how many stars are in the sky. However, I shall post a bill at the Adventure Guild. I'm certain someone will be up to the task."

Shin curiously addressed the king"How many stars are there?"

"Literally millions, more than one can possibly count" replied the middle-aged man.

Alexander addressed Shin"If you don't mind me asking, where is your family?"

"Family?" Shin looked confused.

The knight relented"You don't know? A family is like a group of people living together, usually they are related by blood. A father and mother care for their children until they're grown up and ready to venture out into the world."

"Nevertheless, we have other matters to attend to. Captain Alexander, I'll need you to find that purple-haired archer and bring whoever it is to me" ordered the king.

Alexander nodded and turned to Shin"Are you coming?"

"Yeah, sure" grinned the teen.

The two left the throne room. As they headed out, a guard hurried over to them"Sir Alex! I spotted two people down in the armory! One of them is a purple-haired woman!"

"Shin, let's go" said Alexander. The two strode down the hallways. Shin looked scared as they passed by a few other knights and held on to Alexander's hand as if the older man were his father.

From his hiding place, Malin rushed into a secret passage that the prince showed him when they were children. If the knights weren't going to capture the archer, he was.

* * *

Savannah had rushed into the hallway to find Chris. The brunette man had knocked out two nearby knights and stole into the armory. The purple-haired woman addressed him"What are you doing?"

"Just retrieving your things, it wasn't right that you would be thrown in prison and your possessions confiscated. I knocked out the two knights over there, they wouldn't let me pass" said the brunette.

Savannah sighed and walked over to find him holding the collar she'd broken before it was taken away. Chris said"I thought I'd fix it for you, I'm Christopher James Putnam, by the way. Call me Chris."

The woman sat next to him, grudgingly thankful he was helping. Chris smiled"That collar looked broken by the way, I'll fix it for you. Where are you from?"

"Does it matter? What about you?" said Savannah.

Chris replied after looking down the hallway to see if someone is coming"My hometown is called Will Garnet, it's mostly ruins now."

Savannah was surprised"Never heard of it. Anyway, I'm planning on running out of town until the knights forget about me."

"I can show you my hometown if you'd like. Oh, and you don't mind Ursun, do you?" inquired the brunette.

Savannah stifled a squeal"You mean that race of cute giant teddy bears? I wouldn't mind a bit!"

"Great, I have an Ursun friend called Barry. Now, we should probably hurry before someone finds us" muttered Chris.

Savannah nodded. Chris worked on the collar until he saw someone approaching the hallway"Speak of the devil and he'll appear."

Savannah's eyes widened"We better do something. That collar lets me change my voice, but I can't use it because it's broken. I have a plan, but you have to trust me."

Chris nodded.

* * *

Alexander and Shin entered the Armory to find Savannah and Chris. The woman stood behind him and held her dagger to his neck. Chris tried to make the situation believable by acting scared"S-sir Alexander... Sven Kells..."

Shin shook his head, let go of Alexander's hand and went into the armory to dig around for his bracelet. Alexander scoffed"An effective tactic, but your endgame seems a bit weak. That girl is truly Sven Kells?"

Savannah bit down on her lip, her voice would give it away because she presently can't make herself sound like a male.

"I overestimated you, Chris. I'm not so old that I cannot see through that ruse of yours" said Alexander.

Nearby, a black-haired knight with orange eyes was walking down a corridor until he came to the armory. The knight grinned as he saw Chris and Alexander'Oh dear, this looks an amusing sight.'

"No, really... What does it looked like?" said the brunette Adventurer.

Alexander shrugged"It's close to a hostage situation, but isn't. I suggest you give yourselves up, that dagger dosen't look like it's pressed against your neck hard enough for it to be convincing."

'Blast!' cursed Savannah. Chris nearly paled.

'Oh dear, we are in trouble. Sven Kells, you are mine. I always was better then you, Alex' smirked the dark-haired knight from where he stood.

* * *

That's the next chapter for you, this cliffhanger wraps it up for now. I will pick up from where I left off next time, but before that I will also explain what Trent's group was doing in the meantime.

Raven sounds quite mysterious, no? He's not my OC, though. At this point, I have no idea what direction the story should take. The two groups should meet up at some point, but I don't know how.

Stay tuned for another chapter. Feel free to review.

**Raven: Heh, heh, I know you're looking forward to it.**

**Shin: Could you not do that laugh, please? It's freaking me out.**


	5. Divergence

Chapter four is coming right up, I have to think hard on what to have the characters do. I fixed a minor detail in the previous chapter, I realized that I had Shin's hair color wrong thanks to a PM from Suzaku Karugi. Now that I think about it, Aster's hair color was probably wrong, too.

Like I said last chapter, this chapter focuses on both groups. I will focus on Trent's group first, and then resume where I left off with Alexander's. To summarize: Alexander, Chris, Savannah a.k.a. Sven Kells, and Shin are in the armory with Raven. Malin will also be in that part. Trent, Barry, Aster and Rise are exploring the town and the plains.

**Barry: Oh gosh, I hope Chris will be okay.**

**Chris: I'll be fine, my little friend.**

**Savannah: So what happens, now? Do I go to jail?**

**Alexander: Most likely, but we'll see what happens.**

**Mike: I think this author note is getting a little too long.**

**Malin: I shall handle the disclaimer, then. To put it bluntly, Mike AZ 2 is merely writing this for entertainment. Tales of Graces and Symphonia were written and developed by Namco Bandai. I think that's all, is it?**

**Raven: (scoffs) Is that all? No. Malin, you and Savannah belong to Castle Darkmoon. Fishyputnam owns Chris and the puny little Ursun, Barry. Digitalmaster 1100 created Aster and Rise.**

**Barry: Hey! Who are you callin' puny!? Grrr... It's true I'm small, but that insult is uncalled for. Beat that: Raven may not be the big bad in this story, someone else might eventually come out from behind the scenes. But then, the Tales Of series kinda has a habit of having whoever is the final boss appear early in their stories. **

**Trent: Guys, let's not fight here, okay? Arianna, my dad Alexander and myself belong to the author of this fanfic. Let's not forget Sir Raven and Shin, they are Suzaku Karugi's OCs. Oh, and if any Power Rangers Dino Thunder fans are reading this, I am not to be confused with the White Ranger. My apologies in advance.**

**Mike: Thanks, everyone. Man, I must be going nuts. If anyone's reading this, I apologize for any unintentional insults. I'm not bashing the OCs.**

The chapter title below is subject to change if needed, it's hard coming up with good titles for chapters sometimes. Even more so on an original story.

* * *

Chapter IV: Divergence

A short while earlier, Trent and his group entered the Shopping District of Viola's castle town after finishing breakfast and saying good-bye to Carolyn. The older woman invited them to come back anytime. Aster glanced around in excitement"Man, this place sure is bigger than Questa."

"Yeah, it is the capital after all" said Rise.

Trent caught his eye on a fortune-teller's tent"Let's go in there and see what there is."

"Whatever you say" said Barry.

The group entered the medium-sized tent to find a middle-aged fortune-teller sitting behind her Crystal Ball, Trent could tell she is a Half-Elf. The woman spoke calmly"Hello, did you four come to have your fortune told?"

"Why not? I'd like to. Aster, Rise, Barry, how about it?" smiled Trent.

"Sure" said Aster. Rise nodded.

Barry shrugged"I'm a little uncomfortable on having my fortune told, but we'll give it a try."

The Half-Elf stood and placed her hand on her crystal ball"It's ten Gald per individual."

Trent paid the woman with his money, who chanted a short spell and the crystal ball began emitting images for the group to see. The Fortune Teller addressed Trent"Trials and adventure I see in your future, this may involve the lands surrounding and beyond Viola. Oh, and I see a bluish sphere-like moon in the images of this Crystal Ball. Hm, and do I sense a hint of a spark for your female companion?"

"W-what!? Wait a second, Rise is just a friend! Er, no offense Rise" said Trent, flushing.

"It's okay. And Trent is just a friend" said the female blond. Aster had a indignant look on his face, Barry suppressed a giggle.

The Fortune-Teller continued"Be that as it may, all four of you have a touch of destiny about you. I do not know what this means, but I can assure you my predictions are rarely wrong."

"How cryptic" muttered Aster.

The four left the tent after they were done. Rise stopped to ponder for a moment"Hm, what could this all mean?"

Trent shrugged"Dunno, but right now I feel like going to train for a while. How about it?"

"I'm up for it" grinned Aster.

Rise and Barry nodded. Trent smiled"Okay then, let's head on southeast of Viola."

The group left the castle town and proceeded to explore the plains. Rise admired how beautiful the plains outside Viola were. Aster glanced at a nearby cavern"Reckon something's in there?"

"Are you going to just waltz in that cave?" squeaked Rise.

"What? No, of course not" protested Aster.

As they were speaking, a Falcon Hawk and a couple of Slimes appeared. Trent readied his blade"Bring it on!"

The Falcon Hawk dove at Rise, who dodged and the Falcon got slammed by Aster's blade. Trent attacked a Slime with Lightning Strike before having to dodge a Toxic spell from the other.

Aster and Barry double-teamed the slime that cast Toxin while Trent slew the other with Lightning Strike. Aster gave out a cheeky grin"Nothing like a good warm up, right Rise?"

"Yeah" said the blond girl.

"Where to, now?" asked Aster.

Trent squared his shoulders"Let's try that hill over there to the east."

* * *

'What now?' Savannah's thought drifted to their current situation.

Chris sighed"The jig is up."

"Shin, you can stop checking the armory. It's extremely unlikely that a bracelet would be there" said Alexander, turning to the red-head.

Shin groaned, disappointed after searching through for a bit and turned towards Savannah and the others. Raven, who was watching, silently drew his blade and grinned"Sven Kells, you're trapped."

Savannah jerked her head towards the sound of the voice and cursed himself'Those eyes... And that metal-plated arm: Its Raven El Taire! Just my luck, I'm definitely no match for him.'

"Huh?" Shin also turned at the sound of Raven's voice.

"What are you looking at, boy? If you all excuse me,I have a little business to attend to" said Raven, walking towards Savannah.

Savannah gulped, she was running out of ideas for how to get out of this situation along with Chris. The brunette warrior rolled his head away as he stood up"Desparate times might call for desperate measures."

Savannah grabbed Shin as soon as she saw him, Alexander was about to capture her when the thief grabbed the red-head. The teen paled as the Half-Elf whispered down his cheek"Nothing personal, boy. Just come along quietly, I will not kill you. Though it might still be painful."

At that instant, Savannah found herself tossed backwards, relinquishing her hold on Shin. Chris glanced at the newcomer to see a blue-haired young man enter the Armory"Who might you be?"

"Malin Indoctis" said the other young man curtly before turning his attention to Savannah. The Half-Elf scowled and hurled a nearby spear at Malin, who dodged and countered with a light-based spell.

"Savannah, let's go. Seriously, did you have to scare that boy?" said Chris, exasperated.

"Drop the act, it is over" said Raven, coming towards Savannah and swinging his sword downward. The Half-Elf dodged and scurried back towards the Armory when Alexander grabbed her.

Raven smirked evilly as several more knights filed into the room. Malin gawked at the situation"Sir Raven, what's the meaning of this?"

"I have plans beyond merely the capture of Sven Kells, but enough of that. Men, kill them all except the boy and the thief" instructed Raven to his squad.

Shin was petrified as he saw the man's sinister smirk, at the same time thinking he might have met Raven before. A knight protested"But sir Raven, the king would never approve of such needless violence."

"Oh, I'll be sure to say Sven Kells killed them. With the downfall of Sir Alexander, my plan will be one step closer to completion" growled Raven, impatiently.

Chris readied himself"You're awfully overconfident, don't you think?"

"Sir Raven, do you mean to betray the king!? To strike at Viola's royal knights is to make enemies of the kingdom" demanded Alexander.

Shin summoned forth his sword and jabbed Raven in the leg, causing the High Knight to fall onto his knee. Chris addressed Shin"Nice one, let's get out of here before things get too dicey."

"What's that mean?" said Shin.

"Come on, kid if you want to save your skin" said Savannah, pulling him along.

Alexander took out his blade to cover his retreating companions"Malin, is it? I suggest you come with us, Sir Raven has gone mad."

"I suppose I don't have a choice. There's a secret passage near where I'm standing" sighed the blue-haired young man.

Chris nodded and turned his attention to Raven"Sonic Strike!"

"Black Moon!" Raven countered, standing up.

"How can you recover so quick? Impressive" said Chris, dodging the Arte.

Raven pointed his sword at the Adventurer"Oh, I'm sure you can't dodge again. Black m-"

"Lightning Strike!" Alexander interrupted with an Arte of his own.

"You dare to interfere!?" growled Raven, countering with a downward slash. Alexander blocked with his own sword and urged Chris to hurry and get the others into the passage.

Malin's face paled as he watched the duel, he couldn't believe Raven would betray his fellow knight. Chris, Shin and Savannah ran into the passage. The Half-Elf paused to recover her bow, arrows and grappling hook. Savannah loaded an arrow into her bow and fired at Raven. Alexander took the opportunity to knock Raven aside with an Ice Breaker before running into the passage himself.

"Well played, Alex. But no matter, I shall bide my time and plan my next move. Next time, there will be no mistakes" growled Raven, ignoring his wounds for a moment.

Malin led the small group to the catacombs of the castle through the passage. Chris addressed the knight"That was an impressive move, Sir Alex."

Alexander nodded"Yes, though we lack any way to prove Sir Raven's treachery. Let's get out of the catacombs and go to the throne room, the king will want to know of Sven Kells's capture, at least."

Shin paled as he gasped for breath. Chris turned to address the boy"That was really scary, huh? You all right?"

"Yeah, but that man... I think I've seen him before..." gasped Shin.

"Regardless, we should get a move on" said Malin, heading into the catacombs.

Savannah sighed"Still going to jail, am I?"

"That's up to the king, we must all coöperate at this point. I've never been to this part of the castle" replied Alexander.

"As a matter of fact, neither have I" frowned Malin.

The group proceeded through the catacombs, cautiously watching out for monsters. Malin pondered as they walked"I don't understand, I've heard Sir Raven is an élite knight of renown and great respect. Why did he turn his squad on us?"

"I don't know what he's scheming, but we should keep quiet until we know more. The king won't be pleased by these recent events, no doubt" replied the elder man.

"He's right, let's not sweat the details" said Chris.

"And what's your name?" said Malin.

Chris grinned"Christopher James Putnam, at your service. Call me Chris."

The catacombs were long and airy, as the group made their way through the lower levels of the castle passageways. Shin held onto Alexander's hand, glancing in awe and fear at the gloomy catacombs.

At the end of the secret passage, they came upon a group of Slime and Bat monsters. Among them was a giant slime, Alexander grimaced"It's probably lurked in these catacombs for a while."

"No one has been here in a long time" shrugged Malin.

Chris, Alexander and Savannah readied their weapons. The knight addressed Shin"I trust you know how to use your blade?"

Shin nodded warily, letting go of the knight's hand and taking out his weapon. Two bat monsters flew at him in an attempted to bite the red-head, Shin swung his sword in a pattern to drive off his opponents. Savannah readied her bow and shot down the two bats.

Chris stabbed at a bat before attacking a Slime with Sonic Blade. Savannah frowned"Those slimes look tough."

"They're vulnerable to ice-based attacks" said Alexander, using Ice Breaker on another slime and shattering it. Malin stood back a little from the battle, casting a light-based spell on the large slime. The Queen Slime retaliated with a toxic spell, prompting Malin to jump back.

Chris expertly cut down two more slimes and a bat before turning his attention to the Queen Slime"Lightning!"

The spell staggered the Queen Slime before it attacked with another toxic attack. Malin unleashed a spell at the large monster"Divine Saber!"

Savannah dealt with the last of the bats while turning her attention to a Slime that Shin was trying to fight off. 'Amatuer' though Savannah before loosing an arrow at the Slime, imbuing the weapon with magic"Ice Arrow!"

The attack froze the slime enough for Shin to shatter his opponent, the red-head gasped"Man, that was scary."

"We're not done yet, kid" said Savannah, referring to the large Slime.

Alexander faced the Queen Slime"Ice Breaker!" At the same time, Savannah launched a flurry of ice-covered arrows at the monster. Seeing his chance, Chris leapt into the air and threw his blade down onto the monster. The frozen monster collapsed and melted into thin air.

"We won?" asked Shin.

"Yes, you would make good knight one day if you so choose" said Alexander, leading them to the door at the end of the passage. The door led them back into the main castle.

"Captain!" An elven woman with blond hair and four more knights greeted them.

Alexander nodded"Lieutenant Alexa, good timing. We're about to head for the throne room, keep an eye on Sven Kells."

"Yes sir" said the female knight, grabbing hold of Savannah. The group marched to the throne room, accompanied by Alexa and her other three knights. Inside the throne room, the king was speaking with a younger man with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

Malin approached the two"Prince Kenneth?"

The prince turned around"Malin? How are things?"

"Everything's fine, we've apprehended Sven Kells" replied Malin.

The king was surprised"Hm? Is that truly him? Sir Alexander, you and your group have done quite well."

"There's something else, it's about Sir Raven" said Malin, hesitantly.

King Irwen frowned"What of him? Sir Raven can be an extremist at times, but he's a fine knight. Did something happen?"

Chris shrugged"That 'Raven' guy had a bone to pick with Savannah and me, that's for sure."

"Anything else?" asked the prince.

Alexander sighed"No, not really. I cannot tell you at the moment, but Sir Raven has been a bit off today."

"Quite the contrary" Raven walked into the throne room.

The king addressed the man"Sir Raven, just in time. Put Sven Kells in the dungeon, he will stand trial before we decide his fate."

"Gladly" Raven snuck up on Savannah and knocked her out with the flat edge of his sword.

Chris sighed"That's a bit over the top, don't you think?"

Alexander shook his head"You'll have to be held accountable as well, I'm afraid."

On cue, Alexa grabbed ahold on Chris. The brunette broke free for a moment"Your highness, I'm Christopher James Putnam. Savannah is not the only one who's had a bone to pick with me. I may have had something to do with the incident."

"We'll have to clear this misunderstanding during a trial. What you have to say will be said at court, that's my final offer" said the king.

Shin was curious"Trial? What's that? Food?"

"You'll get the idea if you want to attend with me" offered Alexander.

Chris nodded"That's all fine with me."

"Until then, do not leave the capital" said Alexander. Chris nodded, thinking at the back of his mind how to save Savannah.

"What about the boy?" asked Malin.

The king replied"Sir Alexander can look after him, I'm certain we'll do our best to find his family. If the boy truly has none, I will see if I can arrange a position for him. I will not send Shin to the orphanage, I see potential in him. I have posted a bill at the Adventure Guild so that we might try to find his missing bracelet."

The knight captain nodded"I agree, your highness."

"And the law is clear on what we must do" nodded Raven.

* * *

Another chapter ends in a cliffy. Happy thanksgiving, I know this is an awkward time to post this chapter. I may not get most of my fics done until next summer, but we'll see.

**Chris: This should be interesting.**

**Savannah: HOW DARE YOU PUT ME IN TROUBLE!?**

**Alexander: Calm down, you won't be killed.**

**Aster: What next?**

**Althea (pops in): Hello, everyone. Althea here, I am an OC under the ownership of Kazane Hime, on loan. Keep an eye out for me in the next chapter, and please review this one. Bye now, until then (pops out).**

I don't know how many chapters this fic should have, but I think I know how to fit some Symphonia characters in next chapter. They'll probably be OOC, I've played Dawn of the New World, but not the original Symphonia.


	6. Trial

**Aster: Things are starting to heat up.**

**Chris: I believe that's my line. Yo, author. Hurry with the disclaimer, okay?**

**Mike: Tales of Graces and Tales of Symphonia aren't mine, they are created by Namco Bandai. Most of the OCs here aren't mine, either. What else can I say?**

**Raven: Just get on with the story.**

**Althea: You don't have to say it like that. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.**

There may be some reference to the Corpse Shell Ability at various points in the story. As far as Symphonia characters are, I'm going for the Lloyd/Colette and Emil/Marta pairings. The latter two won't appear until later, though.

As for Graces pairings, I'll definately do Asbel/Cheria, Hubert/Pascal and maybe Richard/Sophie.

This chapter is mostly talking. Also, there may be spoilers from Tales of Symphonia and its direct sequel: Dawn of the New World. Oh, and I apologize if Lloyd is a bit OOC. He and Colette appear in this chapter, though I don't know how big of a role they should have.

I'm doing a trial scene, but it might not be fully accurate.

* * *

Chapter V: Trial

Shin was curious"Orphanage?"

"It's a place for children who lost both their parents" sighed Malin.

Chris glanced to where Raven had picked up Savannah's unconcious body and hauled her away"I'm under the impression Savannah isn't really a bad person, but a law is a law, I suppose."

King Irwen addressed the group"We will hold Savannah's trial at dawn. Malin, you can return to your studies tomorrow. I will let your father know. Kenneth, I'm sure you still have other studies."

"Yes, father" nodded the prince.

* * *

On the hill Trent had indicated, a young man and young woman were resting up. With them was another young woman with blond hair, the young man spoke"Ready to travel some more, Colette?"

"Yes, Lloyd. Think the girl we rescued from monsters will be okay?" said the blond angelic woman.

"Yeah, thank goodness she's merely unconscious. The relic I picked up must had some kind of magic on it, it's a good bet that she found one of those as well. I don't even recognize the layout of this land" sighed Lloyd.

Curious, Trent and his group approached. Colette stood up when she saw the group approach"Hm? Hello. Who might you all be?"

The blond replied"I'm Trent, my companions are Aster, Rise and Barry."

"Nice to meet you all, my name is Colette Brunal" said the older blond girl.

"I'm Lloyd Irwing" said Colette's companion, a brown-haired young man in a red shirt and black pants.

Barry glanced at the unconscious third member of the group before them and approached"Who is that girl?"

Lloyd shook his head"I have no idea, we found her like this a few minutes ago, Colette and I located a strange artifact that zapped us out of some ruins in Sylvarant and defeated some monsters that almost killed her."

"Sounds odd, I wonder if the king should know about this" whispered Rise.

Colette turned to check on the unconcious blond who slowly began to stir. Aster grinned"Looks like she's all right."

Lloyd stood up and walked down the hill a bit and went to scout the area. Trent addressed Colette"By the way, I'm training to be a knight of Viola Kingdom one day. What about you?"

"I was the Chosen of Regeneration in Sylvarant. It's kind of a long story, but Lloyd and I once embarked on a journey of World Regeneration. A second time we traveled was with three who weren't a part of my original journey: Emil, Marta and Tenebrae. We had other companions at our side on the first quest" explained Colette.

"Chosen of Regeneration? The heck is that!?" asked Aster.

"I don't fully understand all this, either" frowned Rise.

The unconscious girl woke up and sat up"Huh? Where am I?"

"Are you okay, miss?" Lloyd had walked back to the group after a quick look at their surroundings for trouble.

The girl sat up from where she lay, she had brown chestnut colored hair. She glanced at the brunette"Who are you?"

"I'm Lloyd" replied the red-head.

Trent smiled"Glad you're okay, I'm Trent."

The brunette girl stood"Nice to meet all of you. I'm Althea, are you the ones who saved me? I stumbled upon an old ruin with an artifact near the Zhonecage and was warped here. Too forcefully for my liking... Ugh."

"Something wrong?" asked Colette.

"Sorry, I hit my head pretty hard earlier" sighed the brunette.

Trent addressed Althea"What's a Zhonecage?"

Althea shrugged"Well... Sorry, I can't remember. My teacher and I were exploring the ruin when I found the artifact. When I touched it, it emited a strange light and here I am. What country is this? I thought it was Windor, but something seems a little off."

"Windor? Can't say I heard of that country, we're in the kingdom of Viola" replied Barry.

Althea started at the tiny voice and glanced at the small Ursun'Aw, how cute.'

"We best go to the nearest town, monsters can get pretty fierce at night" interjected Lloyd.

"The nearest town would be Viola's Castle Town. Are you coming with us?" asked Trent.

Lloyd nodded"Why not? There's nothing else to do here."

Althea smiled"Thank you, I'm grateful."

The group, with their new friends, headed back towards the castle town. They had not been entirely aware of what transpired at the castle.

* * *

Chris left the castle, still thinking on how to help Savannah. The Half-Elf girl had just been taken away to jail by Raven, but that wasn't the issue as far as the Adventurer was concerned. Malin was meanwhile back at the Castle Library, studying.

Shin and Alexander shortly followed after Chris. The knight addressed the red-head"Sven's trail doesn't start until dawn, tomorrow. If you want, you can stay with me. As for your missing bracelet, the king is currently posting a bill."

Shin's thoughts drifted"Dawn? What's that mean?"

"It's a phase during the sunrise as night transits into day" replied the knight.

Chris headed south a bit towards the square when he saw four familiar people and three he hadn't seen before pass through the gate. Grinning in recognition, Chris headed towards the blond in the front"Hey, Trent."

"Hey, Chris. What's up?" asked the younger man.

Chris replied"Nothing much, aside from a girl named Savannah getting thrown in prison on my account and awaiting trial."

Alexander glanced at the other three people with Trent as he approached"Hm? Who might you people be?"

"I'm Lloyd, sir. My companions are Althea and Colette" replied the red-headed traveler.

"I see, am I correct in assuming you're Adventurers?" inquired the knight.

Althea nodded"Yes. In fact, I'm not from around here. Neither are Lloyd and Colette. My name is Althea."

Shin broke away from the group to look around. Chris walked after him and put a hand on his shoulder"Is something wrong?"

Shin shrugged and kept walking. Althea saw him and walked over"Hi, what is your name?"

"Shin" replied the red-head.

"This boy is looking for a missing bracelet of his, the king offered to post a bill at the guild" spoke Alexander, approaching.

Trent approached Shin as well"Hi, I'm Trent."

"I'm Althea" chimed the other woman.

Shin smiled"Nice to meet you."

Trent addressed Chris"So who exactly is Savannah?"

The knight captain spoke"Savannah is Sven Kells' true identity. She's a master thief, not to be trusted. If she's lucky, the king will merely put her in prison for a few months or employ the stocks."

"The sound of it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but that's how the justice system usually works" said Chris.

Althea frowned"Torture devices had been abolished for a century where I am from. Is the king of this country that harsh of a guy?"

Trent shrugged"The king rules with a fair hand, so I doubt he'll execute her just for petty theft. His motto apparently is that the punishment must fit the crime. Several nobles don't entirely agree with that, though."

"Oi! Did you just say something about Sven being arrested?" Three men approached onto the scene.

Trent drew his blade"Are you in cahoots?"

One of the men replied with a sneer"You got guts doin' Sven in like that. Now we're gonna bust you up and find her."

"It's a high-risk operation being a crook, you three look pathetic" said Lloyd.

"Why you!" the three bandits charged at the red-clad warrior. In a split second, Lloyd brandished a pair of single-edged swords and intercepted an axe attack with one blade before slamming him with the other.

Trent and Chris engaged the other two bandits, parrying as the two thieves roughly swung their axes down. Chris darted back and knocked one bandit out with Sonic Thrust while Trent kicked back his opponent. The bandit attempted to attack again when Althea charged and jump-kicked him back.

"Man, you guys are too strong" groaned the bandit, running away with his two accomplices.

Chris shrugged"Little pricks, but ah well, it cannot be helped."

Lloyd sheathed his swords"I guess I got a little carried away. Colette, want to go to the inn?"

"Of course" smiled the blond woman.

Trent gave Chris his half of the dual blade back"Here, so what do you have in mind?"

Chris squared his shoulders"Savannah's not going to have an easy time, the best I can do for her is petition to the king to pardon her with a warning. That's fair, isn't it?"

"Possibly" replied Alexander.

Trent addressed Lloyd"That was great swordsmanship."

"You think so? Thanks, I actually fight with two blades rather than just one" explained the warrior.

Alexander glanced at the sun"If we are to wake up at dawn, we should get some sleep."

"I agree" said Rise, quietly.

Shin glanced around some more, he was oblivious to the brief skirmish against the three bandits"I still haven't found it."

"Found what? Your bracelet?" asked Althea.

Shin shook his head.

Trent put a hand on his shoulders"We'll find it, eventually. I guess I'll go home for the night."

"I will, myself. Shin, I suggest you come with us" said Alexander.

"Hm, okay" said the young red-head.

Trent, Alexander and Shin headed for Trent's house while Aster addressed the rest of the party"So what now?"

"Barry and I will camp outside, I'll break Savannah out if I have to. Doesn't seem right for her to be tossed in jail and possibly executed" replied Chris.

Aster, Rise, Althea, Lloyd and Colette headed to the inn. Aster addressed the older warrior"Lloyd, right? Can you show me a few of your moves sometime tomorrow?"

"My style requires two blades, it takes a lot of practice and good hand-eye coordination to wield two swords without cutting yourself" replied Lloyd.

At Trent's house, Alexander led Trent and Shin to the main room where Carolyn was busy sewing one of her skirts, it was getting a little worn. Trent addressed the older woman"Hey, mom."

"Trent? Alex? How was your day?" smiled the older woman.

"All is well, I found this boy on the streets. He's looking for a lost bracelet" replied the knight.

Carolyn's eyes widened"Really? What's your name, boy?"

The red-head replied quietly"Shin."

"I hope you find your bracelet, soon. Anyway, he needs a place to stay, right?" asked Carolyn.

Alexander nodded"If it's no trouble."

"Of course not, we have an obligation to the less fortunate after all" smiled his wife.

Shin could only glance in wonder as he thought'Why are these people helping me?'

"There's a spare room not far from mine, Shin" offered Trent.

Shin smiled"Thanks."

* * *

After almost a full night passed, Alexander woke up at dawn around the same time as Trent. The younger blond woke Shin, who was sleeping like a baby, and the three headed to the castle.

Aster, Rise, Chris and Barry waited for them at the square. Aster yawned"Why do we need to get up so early, anyway?"

"The king has decided it, all we can do is comply" replied Alexander.

Lieutenant Alexa came out of the castle"Mr. Putnam, you are to be on trial alongside Kells. Everyone ready?"

"Yes" nodded Trent.

Chris squared his shoulders and said"I'll follow you."

The brunette Adventurer followed the knight lieutenant. Rise glanced in silent while Aster rushed to the two and said"Why is Chris in trouble?"

"For aiding a fugitive from justice" said the female knight, bluntly.

Trent nodded and accompanied Shin, Alexander, Chris, Alexa, Aster and Rise to the court. The trip to the castle was brief, Trent addressed Chris"Would it be the right thing to do? Helping Savannah that is?"

"Maybe not, but I'd rather not have her killed" replied Chris.

The group arrived at the castle court room on the second floor. As they headed to the sides of the court room to sit down, Trent caught a glimpse of Savannah being firmly held by Raven.

'It won't be long, Savannah' thought Chris as he was escorted to the stand with the word 'accused' beneath it.

Savannah was forced to stand next to him, she whispered"I could have escaped on my own, but my dagger has been taken along with my bow and grappling hook."

Chris smiled as he whispered back"Everything's going to be fine."

"Court is now in session" said a voice from the judge's seat.

Raven filed from the court room. Shin shuddered as he saw the High Knight'I know I've seen that man before, but where?'

King Irwen and Prince Kenneth sat with the judge, a thirty seven-year-old man"Sven Kells, you stand before us for theft. And you, Chris Putnam have been accused of aiding a wanted criminal."

"With all due respect, she was not the first to try and take my life" said Chris.

"Hold, before you say any more, who will serve as a Lawyer for the defense?" demanded King Irwen.

"Sorry I'm late" Carolyn entered the room, a basket in her hand.

Trent was surprised to see his mother"Mom? You're a Lawyer?"

"Part time" smiled Carolyn, walking to where Trent and Alexander sat.

"What's in the basket?" asked Trent.

His mother smiled"Just some goodies I cooked up for breakfast later on."

"Thanks" replied Trent, accepting the basket.

Carolyn walked to the right side"I stand before you as a Lawyer, but I know little of the events that transpired yesterday. However, But is it possible that the brunette young man had been in the wrong place in the wrong time?"

"This is irrelevant, the fact here is that Sven Kells has stolen multiple times, and therefore must be dealt with. She also attempted to kill a man" said a gruff voice as a light blue-haired man stood at the left.

"Avwood, how are you?" asked Carolyn, turning to the man.

The man replied"Same as always, but a trial is no place for a conversation. At any rate, I, Royal Advisor Indoctus, stand before you as prosecutor. In my opinion, it is meaningless to give a trial to someone: Namely Sven Kells, when she's clearly guilty of her crimes."

"I object your honor, Savannah here is clearly not such a bad person. I understand if no one believes me, but it's the truth. However, I am willing to give up my life if I must" said Chris.

"Now, now, no need to be so hasty" said Carolyn.

King Irwen sighed in embarrassment, this was the first trial to be held since there had been incidents where an innocent person had been locked up and executed without a trial. Malin, who was taking notes, addressed his father"What next?"

Marquis Indoctus replied"Just keep taking notes, Malin. Ahem, anyway, the jurors will decide the fate of the defendants in the box before us."

Carolyn spoke up"Before we decide on a verdict, we are willing to accept to hear the word of any witnesses who may vouch for the defendants' good character. The defendants may speak up, but we'll mostly listen to what the witnesses have to say."

Trent stood and walked to the center of court"Chris is a good person, I know that much. I don't know that much about Sven, but I have to admit she is responsible for the thefts in town the other week. At least judging by the wanted posters."

"You need to work on your testifying skills, guy" said Savannah, annoyed.

"Silence, say no more than necessary" said King Irwen to the purple-haired Half-Elf.

"Chris has been known to take the blame for stuff that's not his fault" chirped Barry.

Advisor Indoctus addressed Chris"Even if you're truly innocent, there's still the matter of Miss Savannah's suspicious behavior. Perhaps we should just throw you both in prison"

"I object to that outragious statement. Does anyone else have something to say?" asked Carolyn.

Shin was secretly eating a sweet pastry that Alexander bought for him. This was somewhat interesting to the young red-head'Seriously though, why do people need to be so pig-headed?'

The judge, a thirty-two year-old man banged his gavel"Sven Kells is clearly guilty of his, or should I say, her crimes. Vote now if you believe that Mister Putnam is guilty or innocent of aiding a possibly dangerous fugitive who has also been accused of murdering said young man."

"Guilty" said Malin, he knew his verdict and kept taking notes.

"Guilty" said Lieutenant Alexa.

"Not Guilty" tried Trent.

"I'm gonna have to say... Guilty" muttered Barry.

"Not Guilty" cried Aster, who had no idea what was going on.

"Not Guilty" said Rise after a few seconds.

"The opinions of the people who have spoken have been taken into account. Anyone else?" asked Carolyn.

"Not Guilty, there has to have been reason he helped her" said Kenneth. Irwen flashed his son a look, pride hidden in the older man's eyes.

The Judge banged his gavel after a few more seconds"A Verdict has been reached. Christopher Putnam has been found Innocent, but there is still one little issue to be solved."

The king stood next to the judge and spoke"Savannah will be locked up for a very long time."

"Your highness, may I say something? Savannah wasn't the only person to try and take my life and won't be the last. If there's a chance a parole can be arranged for her, will you be willing to give her one?"

The king thought for a moment"I'm afraid I cannot do that. Is there any reason?"

"She almost killed me because I knocked out three men who were probably friends of hers" replied Chris.

"Actually, there was an incident in the armory. Savannah did help us once in the castle catacombs" said Malin, thoughtfully.

"What on earth were you doing there!?" demanded Marquis Indoctus.

"Never mind that. Captain Alexander, take Sven Kells away. She will be locked up for six months" sighed the king.

The knight captain nodded and gestured to Lieutenant Alexa to take Savannah to the dungeon. The female knight nodded from where she stood and turned to three more knights"Brandan, Cedric, Ian, you know what to do."

Savannah scowled as the three guards approached and hauled her away. The thief had not gone far before feeling inside her boots and inwardly grinned'Luckily I hid my dagger, maybe I can escape.'

"Was that really the first trial the court held?" asked Trent.

Alexander nodded"The king wanted to install a more lenient criminal-justice system due to some people becoming wrongfully accused and locked up. Only murderers are executed. Common and petty thefts result in long periods of time in the dungeon or the stocks."

"Well, shall we leave?" asked Carolyn.

Trent nodded"Okay."

King Irwen spoke"Everyone else may leave and continue with their daily activities. This has been our kingdom's first official Trial, I can only wish I don't need to host another one."

* * *

Outside the door, Raven El Taire grinned from where he listened'King Irwen has gone soft, but it matters little. Soon, and only soon, I shall begin with my plan.'

The guards escorting Savannah came out with her on tow. Raven smirked"It seems you've lost for once."

"I wouldn't be so sure, old timer" retorted Savannah before being shoved in the direction of the dungeon.

* * *

Back in the court room, Chris walked away"Trent, why don't you guys leave? I got something to take care of."

"Okay" said Rise.

Alexander glanced at his companions"Shall we go? Carolyn and I thought we'd have a little picnic in the fields"

"Of course" nodded Aster.

Shin cocked his head"Picnic?"

"You'll see" smiled Alexander.

Chris snuck away from the group to follow Savannah and the guards escorting her.

* * *

Here's the next chapter, sorry it had pretty much no action.

**Althea: Interesting tale.**

**Trent: You bet.**

Please feel free to review.


	7. Mystery of the Lost Cryas Bracelet

Another chapter coming right up. There will be some jumping between characters in this one as well. Also, two more of my OCs will be introduced in this chapter, though one will only have a temporary appearance.

To clarify: Spoken dialogue is ", thoughts are ', and - indicates change in character P.O.V

Disclaimer: Tales of Graces and Tales of Symphonia, along with their respective characters, locations, etc. are Namco Bandia's creations. Most of the OCs featured aren't mine, either.

* * *

Chapter VI: Mystery of the Lost Cryas Bracelet

A gentle breeze blew through the air in Viola as a young Half-Elf woman with purple hair, green eyes, green tunic and brown pants strode towards the Adventure Guild in search of a quest. Several other Adventurers were there, but the woman paid them no heed as she glanced at the quest bills.

"Hey, have you heard?" A male Adventurer addressed her.

"What is it?" asked the purple-haired woman, a dual blade strapped to her back.

The man replied"The king posted a bill about a missing Cryas Bracelet of some sort. Sounds like a bunch of baloney to me, though. Oh, and I'm Lex."

The young woman nodded her head"I'm Arianna, perhaps you should learn not to assume an object does not exist simply because it's very rare. Do you have any other reason to not take the quest bill you mentioned?"

Lex shrugged nervously"Heh, well, I'm not one for a possible wild goose chase. I'm new here at the Adventure Guild."

Arianna strode over to where the quest bill that Lex mentioned was posted. Scanning it, she said"I know something about Cryas, it is not very abundant in Viola. I shall take this one, will you join me?"

"Sorry, I just had my eye on a different quest" replied Lex, apologetically.

"Very well, then" said Arianna, taking the quest bill in her hand and handing it to the nearest Guild Receptionist"Here, this is the quest I have chosen to undertake."

The Receptionist, a young woman, was surprised"Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid the king would be furious if no one ever took the quest. It seems that the owner of the missing bracelet is a boy with red hair. I think his name is Shin, the name of the owner of the missing bracelet is on the post."

The female Adventurer nodded"I will get going, then. Good day."

"Same to you, miss" smiled the Receptionist.

* * *

Chris followed silently after Savannah and the three guards. The brunette hid as best he could while Savannah was being escorted to the nearest cell. Said Half-Elf found herself shoved into the cell and the three guards shut the door behind her, locking it. Two of the guards left, leaving Savannah with only one.

'Okay, Chris. You barely evaded the kingdom's blacklist, so it's best not to mess this up' thought the brunette to himself, sneaking towards the cell door.

Savannah quietly sat down in her cell and felt for her dagger, good thing she wasn't claustrophobic. After a moment, she took the hidden weapon from her sock and stood up when she heard the guard outside groan as someone quickly knocked him out with a flurry of punches.

"This was too easy, shame I had to do that. I doubt he would've given me the key if I asked" said Chris, taking the key from the unconscious knight.

Savannah was surprised"Chris? Great, hand over the key."

The brunette grinned and stuck the key through the bars. Savanah took it and unlocked the door while Chris stood back and exited. The Half-Elf grinned as she followed him out"Thanks a bunch, I actually lied about the dagger being taken. I hid it when the knights weren't looking, so I could've gotten out. No point letting anyone know I can escape at any time with it."

"Well, there's no harm in having help, either way" said Chris.

"Seriously, did that little ursun have to vouch against you?" wondered the Half-Elf.

The brunette shrugged"That's not the first time we sniped at each other. So now what will you do? It won't be easy to get out without getting caught. You can end up in prison for stuff way worse than theft."

Savannah handed her dagger to Chris"I suppose it wouldn't look like you're escorting a prisoner if we walk side-by-side. Try not to poke me with this, but have it aimed at my back while I walk ahead of you, okay?"

"My thoughts, exactly. The rest of your equipment is probably at the armory" said Chris.

"Let's get to it" grinned Savannah.

The two snuck their way out of the dungeon and to the armory. Savannah addressed the brunette as soon as they got there"So, what was Will Garnet like?"

Chris was quiet for a moment"It was... a peaceful, prosperous place. Nowhere as advanced as Anorab or as grand as Viola, though. Anyway, we should split up, I can very easily leave the castle through the main gateway."

"No problem for me. I'll just head out that window once I reclaim my bow" grinned Savannah, glad to make a friend.

Chris nodded"I trust we'll meet, later?"

"Sooner than you think" smiled Savannah, grabbing the rest of her things and heading out the window. She winked at Chris before jumping down and landing safely below.

The brunette smiled for a moment before going back to the castle's entrance and complementing on what to do next'Barry's in for it, but nothing painful. Hm, maybe I will check the Adventure guild. There are usually some pretty interesting quests.'

* * *

Althea yawned as she woke up in a room at the inn, Aster and Rise had left earlier. Seeing a note from Rise on a bed across from hers in the room they were sharing, Althea walked over to read it'_Did you have a nice sleep? I didn't want to wake you. Aster and I left to meet up with some friends. I hope you regain your memories -Rise.'_

The brunette put the note away before making her bed and leaving. Lloyd and Colette had awoken around the same time and were heading downstairs for breakfast. Althea hurried over to address them"Good morning."

"Oh, good morning, Althea" smiled Colette, turning to address her.

Lloyd grinned"What's up? I thought I would head over to the guild, it's kind of boring just doing nothing. Want to come with?"

"Sure, I have nothing to do at the moment" replied the brunette.

Colette glanced over to the parlor"We were just about to go buy breakfast, though. The inn serves breakfast on some mornings, would you be okay if we go see what there is, Lloyd?"

"Sure thing" nodded the red-clad brunette.

A purple-haired half-elf walked into the inn and spotted the three"Greetings."

Lloyd turned to the newcomer, not too surprised to notice her pointy ears"Hey, I'm Lloyd."

"I'm Colette Brunel, what's your name?" smiled the blond, addressing the half-elf.

The purple-haired young woman replied"I am Arianna, a member of the Adventure Guild. I went to the guild early this morning to find a quest to undertake before coming here to do some part-time work."

"Nice to meet you, Arianna. My name is Althea" smiled the female brunette.

"Really? What kind of quest?" asked Lloyd.

The half-elf replied grimly as she started towards the kitchen"A young boy with red hair called Shin lost his Cryas Bracelet. It is partly made of Cryas, presumably. But enough of that, how was your stay? I work at this inn part-time on some days."

"Really? Anyway. I slept pretty well myself" said Colette.

Althea grimaced as she heard what Arianna said"I can't remember what Cryas is, but I should like to help find Shin's bracelet, I met him yesterday. Arianna, may I come with you?"

"Don't forget about me, I'd rather have something to do than nothing. Colette, what do you think? We might not be able to find a way out of this strange world, anyway" grinned Lloyd.

Colette smiled at her boyfriend's gumption"Sure, if Arianna will allow it."

"The Guildmaster would not be pleased if mere civilians joined a quest" frowned Arianna, hesitantly.

Lloyd stood forward"But what if we want to go? I'm pretty good with a blade. Colette and I are Adventurers."

"I can handle myself in a fight, I'm pretty good at unarmed combat" chimed Althea.

Arianna thought for a moment"Very well, we shall begin investigating after breakfast. I welcome your aid."

* * *

Trent, Alexander, Carolyn, Shin, Aster, Rise and Barry left the castle and were headed to the square. Trent addressed Barry"Did you really think Chris was guilty?"

"Not really, I was just pulling his leg. I had a hunch that he would be found innocent, anyway" shrugged the Ursun.

Shin stopped for a moment to think before turning his attention eastwards. Trent noticed"What's up?"

Shin shrugged and began to walk the direction he faced. Alexander got in front"Don't wander off, was there something wrong?"

"I'm just gonna do what I did when I came here... Walk forward."

"What are you walking forward to?" said a voice as four more people met them, one of them a Half-Elf.

Shin glanced back to find Althea"Hi."

Althea smiled"Good morning, Shin."

Arianna walked up to the red-head"Are you Shin? I saw a quest bill from the king about a missing Cryas Bracelet and thought I would help out. Lloyd, Collete and Althea offered their aid, as well."

"Nice to meet you, Arianna. But why is the king helping me?" wondered the teen.

"Mostly because it's his job to help his subjects, but King Irwin is also a fair and kind man. I cannot truly speak for him, though. Oh, and Arianna, it's nice to meet you" interjected Alexander.

"I'm Aster, this is Rise" said the other blond to Arianna. Trent, Carolyn and Barry introduced themselves as well.

"Shin, do you remember where you last saw your bracelet?" asked Arianna.

The red-head shrugged and kept walking, stopping to murmur to the Half-Elf"I never took it off."

"The Abandoned Mines to the east of town is that way, it's no different from any other cave. There could be monsters" said Carolyn, catching up to the boy.

"A Cave? ... I woke up in a cave, I may have left it where I woke" grinned Shin.

"It might be there, then" nodded Althea.

"Let's check it out" piped Lloyd.

Colette nodded"Good idea."

Alexander raised an eyebrow"How can a child get a bracelet lost in a cave? Never mind that, there is an open field between here and the abandoned mine, the meadow on top of the nearby hill is a splendid place for a picnic."

"So we'll go there afterwards" nodded Trent.

"Colette, Lloyd, Althea and I already ate not more than a few minutes ago, we had rice porridge at the inn. We'll go there ahead of all of you" said Arianna.

Alexander shrugged"The cave may be dangerous, but I cannot stop you. Let's go as far as the hill, for now."

"Very well, then. We'll stick close to you" said the Half-Elf.

* * *

Chris whistled innocently as he left the castle and headed to the square. Not far from him, Savannah snuck around the castle perimeter and ran into the brunette warrior. The brunette smiled"What's up?"

"Told you it would be sooner than you think" said Savannah, smugly.

Chris shrugged"Well, I was just about to go find Barry and head to the Adventure guild."

Savannah glanced to the east to see Alexander's group heading out the east gate"Hm, where do you suppose they're off to? If anything, that silly teddy bear is likely with them."

"You mean Barry? Huh. No idea, should we check it out? We don't have to go near them, we'll just keep our distance" said Chris.

"Sounds like fun" grinned Savannah. The two headed east after the group from a distance.

* * *

Trent and his group headed east a ways before coming across a hill to the north. As they climbed up, Trent breathed in the fresh air"Man, it feels good to be outside, today."

"I couldn't agree more" said Arianna.

Trent set the picnic basket down on the hilltop and the group took some food which consisted of rice porridge and some pancakes. (Pancakes might not have been created yet in the medieval ages, but what the heck?) Althea offered some pancakes to Shin who shrugged it off"I'm good."

"Sweets don't exactly count, I know what you ate during the trial" frowned Trent.

"Why not?" asked Shin.

"Sweets do far more harm than good, I suggest oatmeal or some rice porridge next time" replied Carolyn with a smile.

The group proceeded to eat breakfast. Shin glanced further east to the cave that Alexander mentioned. Looking back for a moment, Shin stood up and wandered down the hill. Althea noticed as soon as she finished her portion of curry and followed"Shin, I don't think you should wonder off so much."

"What's up?" Lloyd had finished eating some rice porridge and followed them.

Shin squared his shoulders and kept walking. Colette magically summoned her wings and flew over"Are you going to the cave? I don't think kids should go there on their own. As a matter of fact, how did you escape if that's where you last saw your bracelet?"

Shin glanced over at Colette, turning in surprise to see her hover"Whoa."

"I know. Cool, huh? Colette is part-angel" said Lloyd.

Trent walked over after finishing his rice porridge"I can't say how dangerous the cave is, but why don't we go together?"

"Don't forget about us" said Aster as he and Rise approached.

Colette smiled as she landed and her wings vanished"I guess it can't hurt, but I am a bit worried for Shin."

"So am I" said Althea.

Arianna approached"It is my quest, so I'm coming along as well. If we cannot find the bracelet there, we may have to gather information in town."

Barry shrugged"Caves are scary, but count me in."

"Sounds like you have quite a job ahead of you, please be careful everyone" said Carolyn.

"I will escort you back to town, Carolyn. The rest of you can go on ahead, I wish you luck in your investigation. Shin, you might want to come back with us" said Alexander.

Shin shook his head and began to walk away, Althea took his hand"Shin, it might be a good idea."

"But..." Shin's voice trailed off.

"Dad, we'll look after Shin" piped Trent.

Alexander nodded"Very well, just be careful. Shin, you barely know how to wield a blade, so I suggest staying close to the others."

"See you dad" chimed Trent.

* * *

Chris and Savannah followed silently and hid in some bushes on the hilltop, evidently they were planning to go to the cave to the east. Chris smiled"Sounds interesting."

"Yeah, so now what? Shall we follow them?" grinned Savannah with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"No problem" whispered the brunette.

As soon as they were sure Trent's group had gone down the hill, the pair began to follow.

* * *

Trent and Arianna led their group further east until they came to a rock cave which led underground. Trent drew his sword"Think there might be monsters in the cave?"

"Always a possibility" said Lloyd, taking out his twin blades.

Shin had his sword drawn and was running inside, letting go of Althea's hand in the process. Aster and Rise followed. Barry stepped in just behind Rise while Arianna addressed Colette"Can you fight?"

"I know some magic, and I have these chakrams. I'll be okay, especially with Lloyd by my side" replied the blond Chosen.

The group entered the cave, unaware they were followed by Chris and Savannah. Trent glanced at the slightly dim caverns as he checked the place out"This place was a mine, huh?"

"Yes, it yielded valuable jewels and materials such as platinum and turquoise. Cryas was also mined here to the best of my knowledge" said Arianna.

A wolf howl was heard as three black wolves and two bats surprised them. Colette jumped back"I thought Ratatosk and the Centurions commanded the monsters as their leaders."

"Some are out of their range of command I guess. There's no way we can blame this on the Centurions" muttered Lloyd, cutting down a cave bat.

Althea looked around while her companions engaged the monsters"Where's Shin? He must have gone ahead. And who's Ratatosk?"

"Long story" replied Lloyd, rushing to help Aster and Rise fend off a black wolf.

"Each world must have it's own laws" murmured Colette, slicing down a bat with her chakram.

Trent cut down a black wolf with little difficulty before running deeper into the cave to find Shin. Barry and Althea followed him. The rest of the group proceeded to wipe out the last of the monsters before following.

* * *

Shin had found his way deeper into the cavern until he came to the end of a large cavern with a glowing flower at its end. Trent caught up"Shin, why did you go so far ahead? Huh?"

Althea noticed the flower as soon as she caught up"My, that looks beautiful. But why is it glowing?"

Trent inspected the flower"Shin, was that there before?"

"It was but a bud when I woke" replied the red-head.

"That substance... Is that Eleth?" whispered Althea, glancing at the flower.

Shin nodded"Pure..."

"What's pure?" asked Lloyd as he and the others caught up.

"The flower... pure" whispered Shin, reaching out to touch it.

"I don't think it's a good idea to mess with Eleth in a concentrated form, Shin" said Althea, worriedly.

Trent glanced around"Dosen't look like the bracelet is here."

"I don't see it, either. Maybe it got stolen or eaten by a monster" said Colette.

"Monsters aren't that dim-witted" said Lloyd.

Shin played around with the flower's petels for a bit, causing a powdered substance to land on his hand. Althea shook her head"It's really not the best thing to do, Shin."

Just then, the ground began to shake. Lloyd turned around as he saw the ground nearby start to give way"Whoa!"

"What?" Arianna and the others turned to see the ground burst open as a large worm-like creature emerged. It was white with a metallic object on it's head.

Lloyd brandished his blades"Bring it on."

Trent and the others turned to see the creature emerge and charge at them. Aster charged at it with his katana drawn while Barry tossed his dagger at the giant worm. The monster was barely dented on the head as it bashed Aster, the Ursun had managed to dodge.

Lloyd charged forward and swung his blades fiercely at the giant worm's chest. The creature banged its head downward in retaliation and unleashed a smog of black breath at Trent.

"Angel Feather!" Collete's spell was aimed at the monster's head. The giant worm charged irritably at the Chosen, who flew back to avoid a nasty blow.

Althea charged next, armed with a pair of gauntlets as she attacked with a flurry of blows"Triple Strike!"

"Demon Fang!" Trent and Althea's artes barely dented the monster's skin as it quickly squirmed around the cave floor and swung its tail at the group. Irritated, Aster slashed at the creature's side, only to be knocked away.

"Stupid snake, die already" groaned Lloyd, attacking the giant worm again.

* * *

Chris and Savannah followed the group into the cave, stopping to hide while Trent's group defeated some monsters. Chris shrugged"So what do you have in mind?"

"Just a little prank" said Savannah, leading the way.

The two walked a little farther to hear even more sounds of battle moments later at the end of the cave. Savannah peeked into the deepest cavern to see a giant worm of all things.

"The others have gotten themselves into a prick" remarked Chris.

"No kidding" muttered Savannah, readying her bow and arrows"Arrow Volley!"

Chris readied his combined dual blade"Ready or not, here I come."

* * *

The Giant worm was struck in the back by arrows. Trent spotted Chris and Savannah rushing into the room. Barry smiled as his friend joined the fray"Hey Chris, hope you're not too mad at me."

"Nope, now let's take this joker down" said Chris, referring to the Giant Worm.

"You said it" piped Savannah.

"Chris? Great to see you" said Trent.

"Don't forget about me, I'm Savannah" grinned the master thief.

Chris charged at the giant worm, hitting it with a flurry of slashes before turning his weapon into pistols and firing"I'll give this everything I've got. Expiation!"

The giant worm seemed to explode for a moment from Chris's attack. It recovered from the blow and swung it's tail again. Chris jumped and stabbed downward, causing the creature to slither in pain.

"Let me get a piece of the action, Chris. Lightning Strike!" Trent's attack hit the monster.

The wounded and now infuriated giant worm knocked Trent aside with it's head before charging at Shin. Chris darted over to the monster's side and cast a fireball. The worm staggered for a moment before continuing to charge at the red-headed teen.

"Shin!" called Trent.

"Look out!" cried Althea, rushing to defend their youngest companion.

The teen continued to stare at the flower as the worm charged and attempted to bash him with its head. Shin drew his blade and held it in a blocking position, the worm bashed its head onto the blade and recoiled in pain.

"Not here, not now" for an instant, Shin was replaced by an older man as he turned to face the Giant Worm. The monster attempted to swing its head violently when Shin stabbed it"Tekshi Teskhi!"

Finally defeated, the monster exploded and collapsed onto the ground, dead. Shin was knocked backwards by the impact. Savannah and the others were surprised: How was Shin able to finish it in one blow?

Rise and Colette rushed to check on the young teen. Lloyd let out a sigh as he shealthed his weapon. Chris smiled"Well, that was a good challenge. Didn't expect the little guy to help out."

"Hey" cried Barry, indignantly.

"Chill out, I was talking about Shin" grinned the brunette.

Althea ate an apple gel while wondering how Shin was doing. The small red-head recovered"Wha... What happened?"

"Thank goodness" smiled Althea.

"That giant worm was tough, but you finished it off" said Trent.

"What? Really?" Shin glanced at the giant dead monster"Whoa!"

"The whole thing was probably wiped from his mind" remarked Lloyd.

"Well, I don't see the bracelet. It was likely stolen" frowned Arianna.

Chris glanced at the new half-elf"Hey, I'm Christopher James Putnam, but you can just call me Chris."

"Pleasure" nodded Arianna.

"I'm Lloyd Irving" said the red-clad swordsman.

"My name is Collete Brunel" said the blond Chosen.

Aster and Rise looked around. Savannah addressed Chris"now what?"

"We should probably return to town" said the brunette Adventurer.

"That would be wise" whispered Rise.

Savannah spoke"So what's up?"

"We're looking for a Cryas bracelet made of stone and Cryas" said Althea.

"Well, let's head back to town. Maybe we'll learn something new" said Lloyd.

The large group proceeded to leave the dim cave. Althea addressed Trent"Who do you think would've stolen it? The bracelet?"

"No idea" said Trent.

Chris smiled"Let's not sweat the small stuff, tomorrow is another day. Oh, and Barry."

"Hm?" asked the Ursun, nervously.

Chris picked up the small ursun and gave him a bit of a noogie"How do you like that? This is for this morning, though it wasn't entirely untrue."

The group headed back to Viola, making small talk as they went.

* * *

Well, that's another chapter for you. Despite the chapter title, the group won't find Shin's bracelet for another two or three chapters. Oh, and I hope you didn't mind the Dawn of the New World reference.

**Arianna: Well, that was hardly an original story. It's like Mike's Tales forum's story and the original version are melded into one. Although that's not entirely true.**

**Malin: What about me?**

**Kenneth: Maybe you will be in the next chapter.**

**Savannah: That kinda depends. Maybe we'll get to visit Tenshi.**

**Malin: Tenshi was Darkmoon's idea in Mike's Tales of Roleplay forum. I wonder when she'll be able to post again.**

**Chris: Chill out. Besides, that's up to your creator.**

**Arianna: I agree, patience is a virtue.**

**Mike: Uh, guys. Can't we just skip to the end?**

**Lloyd (grins): Well, go ahead and review if you'd like. No flaming now, or big bad Ratatosk will get you.**

**Emil (as Ratatosk): I heard that you d-**

**Marta: Geez, calm down already.**

Sorry about the lame attempted humor above, everyone. Like I said, please feel free to review.


	8. The Thief Guilds

Well, here's another chapter. This one is mostly talking.

**Marta: You know, you could try putting a little more oomph into it.**

**Emil: Uh, what she said.**

**Mike: I must be going nuts.**

**Savannah: Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Graces and all their characters rightfully belong to Namco Bandai. Not that I'm a stickler for rules, just letting y'all know.**

**Malin: Can't say that's proper speech, aren't you the daughter of a Noblewoman in Mikes Tales of Roleplay, Savannah?**

**Savannah: (Glares at Malin) Don't bring this up again, rich boy.**

**Trent: Arianna, Kenneth, Alexander and I are Mike's OCs, but the rest belong to other members of this site.**

* * *

Chapter VII: The Thief Guilds

The trip back to Viola was very brief as the group discussed where Shin's bracelet could be. Arianna addressed Savannah"Do you have any idea who could've taken the bracelet? Not that I'm implying anything."

"None taken, I could check in with my associates and see if they know anything" suggested the other Half-Elf.

"Out of curiosity, who are your associates?" wondered Trent.

Savannah looked around before quietly replying"There is a hidden hideaway in town, follow me. It's in an abandoned mansion in the southwest corner of Viola. My three associates are the ones who Mr. Brunette here beat up yesterday."

"Interesting" mussed Chris, trying not to flush.

The master thief led the group through town, glancing here and there at the market. Althea and Chris kept an eye on Shin to be sure he is safe. Rise and Aster browsed the shops occasionally to check for anything new they could buy.

The trip to the southwest corner was short, as they stopped at an old manor. Trent was curious"Does anyone live here?"

"Not that most people know. This place is a sort of haven for the guild members living inside. Oh, and promise me you won't tell anyone else about this, okay?" chirped Savannah.

"We promise" said Trent. The rest agreed.

Savannah walked over to the door and knocked. A voice addressed her"What is a thief's best friend?"

"Same as a girl's, jewelry" said Savannah, giving the password.

The door opened and another young woman greeted them"Oh, good day, Savannah."

"Good day, Jessica" acknowledged the thief as she led her group in.

"Quite the company you have there" smiled Jessica.

Savannah nodded once as she led the group down some stairs into what looked like a large room with three doors on each side. The Master Thief grinned as she addressed her conpanion"Welcome to the hidden city of ishnet. Now, I will go check in with my associates. Why don't you guys go to the Fleetfoot Guild? Their mark is a winged shoe."

"All right, let's do that. Savannah, mind if I come with?" smiled Chris.

"No problem" replied Savannah.

While Savannah and Chris went north, Trent's group headed to the right side of the 'square', looking for the boot symbol. Seeing it, Trent and his group walked over to knock on the door.

"Yes?" A man in his mid-twenties answered.

"I'm Trent, my group and I are looking around for a missing bracelet made of Cryas. Have you seen it?" asked the male blond.

The man raised an eyebrow"Is that so? Name's Lester. Can't say I've seen a bracelet like that, but I can take it up with the guildmaster."

"It'd be nice if you could" spoke Althea.

Lester nodded"All right, follow me."

* * *

Savannah and Chris went into the purple-haired archer's 'hideout' to find the three thugs that were beaten up earlier recuperating inside. One of them did a double-take when he saw Savannah"Sven! You escaped."

"Thanks to Putnam, here" smirked Savannah.

"Why did you bring him here?" babbled another.

"What are we going to do with you?" sighed the third man

Savannah pointed"Connor, you are going to be nice. Cal, you are not going to do anything to me, and you are going to shut up, Carlos! WE have a question for you, so listen up."

Chris spoke"Er, I'm Christopher Putnam. We're looking for a stone bracelet made from Cryas. Have you seen anything like that, perchance?"

Connor shrugged"Never heard of any thief guild members bragging about stealing anything like that. Although, why don't you check on the Shadowsteps? They supposedly have an oracle. They're mark is a eclipsed sun with a shoe beneath."

"An oracle, eh? Interesting" muttered Chris.

Savannah smirked"Well, shall we meet up with the others?"

Chris nodded with a smile"Lead the way."

* * *

Trent's group followed Lester to the back of the Fleetfoot Guild. A man in his mid-forties with dark clothing sporting the Fleetfoot Guild's symbol addressed them"Lester, who are these people?"

"They're with me, Guildmaster Jerik. They came asking about a Cryas Bracelet" replied Lester.

Shin stood silently beside Althea as he held her hand.

Jerik grunted"Humph. Never heard of anything like it being stolen by the other guilds, but I will keep my ears open."

"Yeah, thank you" smiled Althea.

Lester grinned"Hope you guys find it, my old man and me will keep our ears open like he said."

Arianna nodded her thanks as she and her group left the guild. Collette addressed Lloyd"They seem decent."

"Yeah, but how do they do as thieves?" muttered Lloyd.

As they left the Fleetfoot Guild, Savannah and Chris met them at the center of the large hallway. Savannah addressed the main group"So how's the search? My boys did not know anything, but recommended a trip to the Shadowstep Guild."

"The Shadowsteps? Where are they?" asked Althea.

"At the opposite chamber to the Fleetfoot" replied Savannah.

"So let's go" chirped Colette.

The group went to a door opposite of the Fleetfoot Guild. The symbol above was a darkened circle with a picture of a dark shoe beneath it. Trent shrugged"So what are they like?"

"The Shadowsteps prefer shadowy dwellings and are very good at magic" said Savannah, knocking on the door.

The door creaked open and a voice answered"Who's there?"

"Its me, Savannah. I came here with friends" grinned the Archer.

"Come in, quickly" said the male voice. The group headed into a slightly darker room than the one that housed the Fleetfoot Guild. A thirty-year-old man with dark hair and clothes addressed them"My name is Davis, the Shadowsteps' Guildmaster."

Arianna addressed him"Nice to meet you. My companions and I are here about a ring made from Cryas. Have you seen anything like that? My name is Arianna."

The Shadowsteps Guildmaster shrugged"No, I'm afraid I haven't seen anything like that. However, would you care to meet our Oracle? She and I have known each other since we were children."

"Yes, we would like to" piped Chris.

"Oracle? Is Roxy still at it? Her Prophecies are freakin' expensive and vague" sighed Savannah.

Collette shrugged"Well we should still find out, anyway. Besides, we might learn something useful."

"Sounds interesting" remarked Barry.

"Our Oracle is at the back" said Davis, leading the way. The group followed until they saw a white-clad woman with a hood on, sitting on a chair in front of a table with a crystal ball on it.

"This is her?" asked Aster.

Savannah nodded.

The woman stood"Ah, more guests, I see. Welcome, make yourselves comforfable, I am Madam Roxy."

Shin still held Althea's hand as he listened silently. The brunette martial-artist listened attentively.

Savannah grunted, then said"Do you know anything about a mystery bracelet made from Cryas?"

"Ah, I do not tell all, but the crystal knows. I'm afraid I must ask for a small payment of two-hundred Gald" spoke the Oracle.

Lloyd reached into his rucksack, pulled out a sack of Gald and handed it to Roxy"Uh, is it enough?"

"The payment is fair" nodded the Oracle, checking the sack's contents.

The group stood back as Roxy began focusing magic energy into her crystal ball"Sim Sala Bim... Oh great powers from above, reveal to me the answers to which I seek!"

The group watched as the crystal ball glowed and various images began to take shape within the glass. The display went on for a moment as the Oracle spoke"Ah, I see an enigmatic armored man who has taken a stone/cryas bracelet into possession. Beware this man, he's more than a man. Connected to your quest he may be, and that is all the crystal reveals to me."

"... An armored man... Sounds like he's either a knight or a mercenary" mussed Chris.

"But who? I don't know any knight who would do something like this" shrugged Trent.

"So we have to find this guy" muttered Lloyd, astonished.

"Let's get back to Viola, something tells me this is all the information we'll find down here" suggested Arianna.

"Yeah, good idea" nodded Collete.

The group said farewell to Roxy and Davis before leaving the Shadowsteps Guild Hall. Arianna led the way out"So now we know for certain the bracelet was stolen, and the possible culprits have been narrowed down."

"We'd still have to find the man" shrugged Aster.

Rise nodded, slightly shaken from the oracle's words.

Shin stood there, pondering'That sounds like... like that dark-haired guy... But who was it, and why must I seek him...?'

"Something wrong, Shin?" asked Althea, concerned.

Shin shrugged"Nothing..."

"Let's get some rest in Viola. Hopefully tomorrow will provide a solution" smiled Chris.

Savannah smirked"And I'll be following along, how's that?"

Trent squared his shoulders"We'd like to have you along, but aren't you still wanted by the law?"

"Yeah, but, that's not important" said the archer.

Aster grinned"Well, all the more adventure for all of us."

The group left Ishnet and proceeded towards the inn. The oracle's vague words rung through Shin's ears. Althea addressed Arianna"So what should we do, tomorrow?"

"I don't know yet, I guess I need time to think about this mystery" sighed Arianna.

"But hey, at least we get to hang out together more" smiled Lloyd.

"You bet" giggled Savannah.

The group headed to the inn to rest for the evening as the sun began to set.

* * *

Shorter chapter than the last one, huh? The next one should be longer. I hope I didn't make it too boring.

**Umiko (pops in): Good day.**

**Winter: Yo. I'm Winter, and this is Umiko.**

**Umiko: Two more of Kazane's OCs here on loan. See you in a few chapters, I guess.**

**Trent (approaches): Oh, hi.**

**Umiko: Hi, Trent.**

**Trent: How is everything?**

**Winter: Just dandy. Well, these post-notes are getting a bit long. We're not supposed to see you yet, though. But oh well, where to?**

**Alexander: Isn't it obvious?**

**Trent (turning): How about... To the Now?**

**Winter: The Present, you mean? Tee, hee, let's go. (the group walks off)**

**Chris (sweat-drop): Aren't you guys thinking of something else?**

**Alexander (facepalm): This is getting too silly. Oh, and feel free to review, everyone.**

**Mike: I hope I don't get in trouble for this...**


	9. Muah Temple

Here's the next chapter. This isn't going to become a horror fic, despite the undead playing a part in the story. In fact, it was an idea Fishy had in mind for a part of Chris' past. I'll get to that in a few chapters.

**Aster: Hoo boy, this is gonna be a fun one.**

**Stella: (pops in) Hi. Keep an eye out for me in this chapter, I am another of Digitalmaster1100's OCs. Call me Stella. My real name is Thetis.**

**Shin: But I like Crysty!**

**Stella: (sigh) Only you can call me that, Shin...**

**Alexander: Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Graces, along with all of their respective characters, locations, etc. are the property of Namco Bandai. Mike is merely writing this for entertainment purposes.**

**Winter: Don't forget about me and the other OCs. Some of which belong to other members of this site. Trent, Arianna, Alexander, and Kenneth are Mike's OCs for example. Umiko, Althea and I are Kazane's.**

**Mike: Hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

By the way. In case you forgot, thoughts are ', " indicates spoken word, and - is a lapse in time or change in point of view.

* * *

Chapter VIII: Muah Temple.

Most of the group stayed at the inn that night while Trent went home to sleep. Savannah stayed outdoors with Shin, the former staying outside the city gates while the latter slept on a rooftop.

An hour after dawn, Alexander had gotten up and went to the castle after a quick breakfast of toast. Lieutenant Alexa and two other knights were on patrol, the female knight addressed her captain"Good morning."

"Same to you" replied the knight captain as he marched into the castle. Alexa and her two squad mates followed after they were done with their patrol for the morning.

They entered the castle and went straight to the throne room. Raven was patrolling the corridors and greeted the knight captain with a curt nod. Alexander nodded back and entered the throne room to see the king"Good morning your highness."

"Ah, just in time captain. The institute has finished its analysis of the rainbow orb and gave it to me. The research director informed me that it may be connected to the ancients" greeted King Irwin.

Alexander bowed"I see. Do you need me for anything?"

The king replied"I want you to go to Muah Temple, deep in the forest south of the town of Questa. There may be some secret there, but we do not know for sure. You will be allowed to hire Adventurers to help with the mission if you wish. Though I don't know for sure if this rainbow jewel may somehow have some connection to it, I want you to take it with."

"Yes, your highness. I shall do my best to uncover any secrets and return to report them to you" acknowledged Alexander, accepting the rainbow jewel from the king.

King Irwin nodded"You have my leave to begin your mission. Take Lieutenant Alexa, Sir Brandon and Sir Ian with you. As for Sven Kells, I was recently informed that she escaped. Take Sven Kells back into custody if you find her."

"Yes, my king" acknowledged Alexander, leaving the throne room to the main second floor hall where Alexa waited.

* * *

Trent woke up at the inn and went downstairs to find everyone else awake. Arianna was helping to prepare breakfast to serve to all the customers at the parlor who wanted any.

Chris, who had woken an hour earlier, entered the parlor and smiled as he greeted his friends"Hey."

Shin and Savannah followed him in. The red-head was quiet, as though pondering a complex dilemma.

"Is there something wrong, Shin?" asked Althea, who had recently ordered a salad for herself.

Shin shook his head before going over to the nearby table. Arianna emerged from the parlor to address the group"Breakfast is pretty much set up, there are pancakes, fruit and salads available. Now's the time if anyone wants to eat something before we head on out."

"Sounds great" Shin got up, excitedly.

"I'd say we could use some refreshments before going out" smiled Chris.

The group all went into the parlor to have breakfast. Trent, who'd served himself some salad and fruit, addressed Chris"So far, we have limited information on the whereabouts of Shin's bracelet, where do you think we should look for the man the Oracle mentioned?"

"Beats me, she said the man is 'more then a man', whatever the heck that means" shrugged the brunette, who was eating a pancake along with some strawberries.

'More than a man' Shin thought for just a second before shrugging it off and eating three pancakes.

"Do you suppose... The man could be from another race?" inquired Collete around a bite of salad.

"Who knows?" Lloyd responded around a bite of a pancake he was eating.

The group finished breakfast before paying the bill and heading out the door. Glancing around, Trent eventually saw four knights heading their direction, one of them was Captain Alexander.

"Huh? Yikes, its the knights. The king must have found out I was busted out of jail" frowned Savannah.

"Hold on, I'll go talk to them" Trent walked over to Captain Alexander"Hey, morning dad."

"Trent, good morning to you. As much as I would like to talk, the king has assigned me a mission to a forgotten temple in the forest to the south of Questa. Supposedly the rainbow orb has some kind of connection to the ancients. Sven Kells' escape has also reached his majesty's ears" acknowledged the knight captain.

"And she is to go back to prison if she's caught, right? She's been helping to find Shin's bracelet with her connections" shrugged Trent.

Alexa, one of the knights in the group, raised her eyebrow"Is that so? One good deed hardly redeems oneself of a lifetime of thefts. And if you're wondering, we aren't directly hunting Sven Kells. We are to arrest her as soon as she is found. If she's lucky, Sven will only get another year in prison for breaking out."

"But still, Sven may not be as malicious as I was informed... While I am at it, will you and your Adventurer friends care to come along, Trent?" asked Alexander.

Chris shrugged"Why not? We don't have much of a lead on the whereabouts of the missing bracelet, the Oracle stated that an enigmatic armored man stole it, and that whoever it is may not be an average human."

"Truly? Hm. I must say, it sounds cryptic at best. We'll report what we know and what we find at the forgotten temple after the mission" spoke Alexander.

"Count us in, sir" piped Aster.

Rise nodded.

Arianna stepped forward"We'll all go together."

"Like she says" smiled Lloyd.

"Sounds like its unanimous" remarked Chris.

Althea shrugged"Well, let's go."

Shin had started to wander south. Althea called"Shin, wait for the rest of us!"

"Let's just go, we need to go south and to the forest, anyway. I will see to it you and the other Adventurers in your party get paid after the mission, Chris" said Alexander.

"Fine by me, though I don't really need more dough right now" acknowledged Chris.

"Dough? Is that food?" piped Shin.

"Dough is a slang term for money, but dough can also be a mixture used to bake cookies" supplied Arianna.

Savannah grinned"Well, if that's okay, I'll come along."

"Very well, but it will be up to the king whether to give you a pardon or not for your recent actions. It will depend largely on your conduct during our mission, Savannah" said Alexander.

* * *

The journey towards Mua Forest took a day and a half as they had to spend a night at Questa so they did not push themselves. The morning after, Alexander took the time to buy camping supplies for the group.

"So what could be at the temple?" wondered Althea.

"Only one way to find out" remarked Chris.

"All right, let's stay close. Anyone will a close-range weapon should take point with me, while spellcasters and bow-users may want to follow behind" instructed Alexander.

The group traveled through the forest until they came to an old stone building with a wooden door and a staircase leading up to it. Collete was amazed"Wow, I almost wish Professor Sage was here. She loves investigating old ruins."

"Who's Professor Sage?" wondered Trent.

"Professor Raine Sage is Lloyd's and my teacher. She and her little brother accompanied me, Lloyd and three others on my quest for World Regeneration where I come from" replied the blond Chosen.

"If you wouldn't have minded her 'ruin mode'" remarked Lloyd.

"Yeah, yeah, It all sounds fascinating. Let's go check the place out, already" grinned Savannah.

They went up the stairs to the temple. The first room was a large hallway with a double-door at its end. Chris looked around"This place looks interesting all right."

"What sort of connection do you suppose the jewel has with this place?" breathed Althea.

"The area has some connection to the ancients, not that I would expect you to understand" said a voice as a man approached from the shadows with silver hair, brownish eyes, greyish and black robes with a cowl.

Chris abruptly called forward his dualblade"You!"

"Long time no see. I remember you, especially the look on your face as the whole of Garnet Kingdom was brought to ruin. You remember me, I presume?" grinned the man.

"Don't bring that up... And of course I remember who you are, Zarloc. You took everything from me!" said Chris with a deadly whisper, a flash of anger evident in his eyes.

"You know each other?" asked Althea.

Zarloc sneered"Enough pleasantries. In the next big chamber awaits a brood of my best warriors, you've proven more resilient and resourceful then I expected, Putnam. I was told you would come here by the Sorceress."

"W-what? How dare you..." Chris tightened his grip on the dual blade, fighting to restrain himself from lashing out at the man.

Arianna stepped forward "What are you after? And who is this 'sorceress' you speak of?"

"The head of a powerful organization seeking to overthrow Viola and the rest of this world. That is all you need to know, the rest is for me to know" hissed Zarloc.

Chris rushed forward and slashed at Zarloc, only for the man to jump back and zap him with a lightning spell. Chris fell to his knee.

"What are you?" Aster readied his katana.

"Good luck making it through the temple" taunted Zarloc, teleporting off.

Rise was slightly shaken as she quickly administrated a Nurse spell to heal Chris. Trent addressed the brunette"Are you okay? What was that about?"

"I'm fine, let's just go on" shrugged Chris, leading the way. Arianna could sense a hint of pain in his voice, but thought better than to ask.

"Captain, I don't like the sound of what the mystery man was talking about" spoke Alexa.

Alexander shrugged"I know, but we need more information before we can really decide on a course of action. Besides, our current mission is to investigate the temple. We should not exceed our mandate."

Shin was clinging to Althea's hand as he listened.

The group pressed on deeper into the temple through the double doors, which led down a hallway towards the central chamber of the temple. No sooner had they got there, they came upon a horde of skeletons and zombies near the northern door.

"What on earth?" whispered Althea.

"This is horrible" gasped Collette.

Chris still had his dual blade in hand as his eyes narrowed at the sight of the undead horde. Trent readied himself"That man must have not been lying."

Barry gulped"Undead monsters are scary..."

"Let's get these monsters out of our way. Undead are vulnerable to light, fire and curative spells, just so that anyone with elemental artes or spells know."

"All righty" Savannah readied her bow.

Rise cast a spell at the nearest zombie"Divine Saber!"

Aster lunged at a skeleton, which blocked with its sword and jabbed at his shoulder. Aster dodged and slashed the monster.

Chris darted forward, changing his dual blade into twin blades and slashing at the undead horde. Trent and most of the others were surprised to see their comrade fight with extreme ferocity as he cut through the numerous monsters.

"Let's get in there and help finish the monsters" said Lloyd, jumping in with his own twin blades and slashing at three zombies.

The rest of the group joined in, fighting the horde with all their might. Eventually, all of the undead monsters were slain.

"Chris, you okay?" Savannah addressed the brunette.

"Yeah" the brunette put away his blades before speaking.

"You really went berserk, I'll tell you that much" remarked the master thief.

Chris hesitated, then said"Let's just go into the next room. The man we saw earlier was responsible for the undead horde we just saw, I have no doubt about that."

"How blasphemous. Necromancy is the worst kind of magic anyone can dabble in. If Zarloc is truly a Necromancer, Viola could be facing a dire threat" muttered Alexander.

"Yeah, and I had a bad feeling about Zarloc when we saw him. It wasn't the first time I met him, our paths had crossed before... That barbaric horde was just a taste of what those who practice necromancy can conjure. I hate that..." Chris trailed off before walking into the northern room. The rest of the group followed.

Barry shrugged, he knew why Chris reacted the way he did to the mystery man and the undead horde, but could not speak of it to the rest of their party.

Shin looked slightly shaken at what he just saw as they entered the northern chamber. Althea took notice of it"You okay?"

"Yeah" whispered the teenage red-head.

The northern chamber was large with a crystal containing a young woman with light blue hair, brown eyes, and pure white garments at its end. At the center of the room was what appeared to be a large crystal humanoid statue holding a sword with seemingly empty sockets.

"Huh? Who's that?" whispered Collete, pointing to the young woman. Shin walked forward to the crystal containing the young woman, who seemed to be frozen in time.

Savannah examined the statue"Hm. Interesting."

Trent walked over to the crystal"Hey, who's that?"

Shin addressed the woman trapped in the crystal"Hello. What is your name?"

"I don't think she can reply, Shin" interjected Althea.

Shin stared at the crystalized woman in awe"Is her name... Crysty?"

"Seems fitting, but we don't know" frowned the brunette martial artist.

"Let's look around" suggested Chris.

The group explored the room until they found a circular indent next to the crystal that held the young woman frozen in her prison. Rise glanced at it"Do you think the rainbow jewel fits into it?"

"Only one way to be certain" mussed Alexander, walking forward and inserting the jewel into the indent. Something in the room clicked as a portion of the roof above pulled apart into a small circle, sunlight poured into the room. The crystal began to melt, while a faint growling noise could be heard from the statue.

"Did you hear that?" whimpered Rise at the growling noise.

"Relax, sis, its probably nothing we can't handle" smiled Aster.

No sooner had Aster spoken, there was a sudden movement as the statue lowered its blade as it sprung to life. Chris tightened his grip on his weapon again"I have a hunch that's the temple guardian."

"You could be right. According to an old legend, an ancient sorcerer imprisoned the dead souls of brave warriors into statues like this one, perhaps" mussed Alexander, readying his sword.

The empty sockets in the monster's eyes turned red as it stomped towards the party, a faint growl heard within.

Althea turned"Huh?"

The monster swung its massive blade at Alexander and Chris, who dodged.

"Man, whoever imprisoned the girl here HAD to leave a monster behind to guard the prisoner" groaned Trent, unleashing Demon Fang.

The arte barely dented the monster's crystal skin as it swung its sword downward at Trent. Arianna shoved the blond out of the way and slashed at the crystal skin. The crystal monster was barely dented, and instead retaliated by casting a spell'Majestic Salvo.'

The spell struck the entire party. Arianna healed her allies with Healing Wind while Ian and Brandon slashed at the enemy. The monster kicked them aside and charged towards Alexander, sword raised. The knight captain thrust his sword at the monster's leg, staggering it for a moment.

Infuriated, the monster swept him aside with its sword, knocking Alexander into the wall before turning on Shin. Althea turned and readied herself to defend the teenage red-head, only to be knocked aside with a fireball from its eyes. The monster swung its sword down again, only for Shin to ready his sword and block.

Savannah fired an arrow at the monster's back, infusing it with a spell first"Fire Arrow!"

The giant monster roared in pain slightly from the flame, turning instead on Savannah, giving Shin an opening to slash it in the leg. The monster jumped aside and stabbed at Shin, who dodged and retaliated with a whirling slash, brining the monster down to its knee.

"Savannah, fire an arrow at its socket! I don't know how I know, but I think the 'eyes' are its cores" cried Althea.

Savannah nodded and fired. The monster reared back and stood as one of its cores were shattered. The infuriated beast unleashed a giant mana wave with its sword knocking the group off of their feet for a moment.

"Blast, this guy's tough" remarked Lloyd, rushing forward and slashing at the creature's leg. Savannah shot the other core with a fire-imbued arrow, while Shin slashed at the monster's back.

Succumbing and staggering from the blows, the monster reared back and began to explode as a bright light shone throughout the room. The group covered their eyes until the light dissipated, leaving no trace of the monster. A ball of light remained in its place for a moment before it retreated towards the crystalized being.

"That was close. What was that?" wondered Collete.

"Fel-Rae" whispered Shin.

"Fel-Rae? What's that?" asked Trent.

"I have no idea" shrugged Chris.

The light shone on the crystal and began to melt it away. Shin stared at it as the crystal faded until the young woman who was imprisoned began to stir"Wake up, Crysty!"

The young woman collapsed, Trent and the others hurried to check on her. Arianna glanced at the figure"At least she's unharmed."

"Look, there's a passage ahead" Chris pointed behind where the crystal previously stood.

"The crystal must have been blocking the way" remarked Alexander.

The young woman who was recently released from the crystal woke and glanced at everyone"Hello... Thanks for freeing me from that awful crystal."

"Thank goodness you're fine. What is your name?" asked Collete.

"... I don't remember" sighed the woman.

"What about Crysty?" piped Shin.

The young woman shook her head"Crysty reminds me of the crystal..."

"Then how about we call you Stella? I'm Aster, by the way. And that's Rise" spoke Aster.

"Stella... I like it" grinned the young woman.

"I'm Christopher Putnam, call me Chris" grinned the male brunette.

"I'm Alexander" spoke the older blond.

"Althea" piped the martial artist.

After the introductions were made, Stella grinned"Nice to meet all of you."

"Let's go further. Stella, can you come?" asked Alexander, retrieving the rainbow jewel in case it was needed again.

"Sure" smiled Stella, walking with the others as they filed towards a hidden chamber to the north. This one was smaller and contained a small altar.

"Whoa, that must be the end of the temple" remarked Trent.

"Indeed" muttered Arianna.

Trent went over to the small indention"What is this?"

"Try putting in the jewel and we'll find out" responded Alexander, handing his son the orb.

Trent inserted the orb, and several lines of murals appeared on the wall behind the altar. The group was astonished at the sight. Chris breathed"Amazing, do you reckon this is a legend?"

"Possibly. We'd have to go back and report to the king, I can't imagine any of us can read the murals" responded Alexander.

"Should we go back to Viola, then?" asked Trent.

Alexander nodded"Yes. Everyone, move out."

As the group turned to leave the temple, Shin piped up"Stella... Can't I still call you Crysty?"

The young woman sighed"All right, only you can do that, Shin."

"Yay!" exclaimed the teen.

* * *

How was it? I tried to keep it as original as I can, this time. Oh, and Zarloc is a minor antagonist, he'll show up again in a few chapters. I'll need to think of a reason for the party to go to the ruins of Garnet, though. I hope this wasn't too dark. This is possibly the first fic I've written that has undead in it.

Please feel free to review.


	10. Raven's Revolt

Another chapter is up and ready. Kazane, Fishyputnam, sorry I hadn't thanked you much for reviews so far. So thanks. Spoilers for Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World are included.

There will also be some jumping between groups in this chapter, and it is somewhat action-packed.

Disclaimer: Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Graces, along with their respective characters, locations, etc. are Namco Bandai's creations. Some of the OCs aren't mine, either.

* * *

Chapter IX: Raven's Revolt

The return trek through the forest was mostly peaceful, save for an occasional encounter with wolves or slimes, which were easily bested. Stella gazed a bit at their surroundings as she accompanied her new friends.

"When was the last time you've been out doors?" piped Collette.

Stella shrugged"Since I was trapped inside that dumb crystal. I don't know for how long, though."

"Least you're fine" smiled Lloyd.

Arianna glanced at Chris, who silently accompanied them and asked"Are you feeling all right?"

"Hm? Yeah, sorry I kinda flipped back there" shrugged the brunette.

"Who was that Zarloc guy, anyway?" questioned Lloyd.

Chris squared his shoulders and just walked on in silence.

Barry piped up"Probably shouldn't bring that up, anymore. Chris has had a very nasty history with that guy."

"Heck, I bet not everyone has had a pleasant past to begin with" muttered Aster.

The group left the forest and towards the open fields, the sun was beginning to set as they headed towards Questa. Alexander stopped"We had best make camp, soon. We'll return to Viola quicker that way."

Rise nodded"Okay."

"Sounds like fun, I could even tell ghost stories if y'all wanted" grinned Savannah.

"I'll pass on the ghost stories, thanks" said Chris, smiling apologetically.

Barry whispered to Savannah"Chris doesn't take well to anything related to the Undead. Don't ask why."

Savannah shrugged, then walked on with the others until they went past Questa a ways. The knight captain spoke"This is where we'll camp. One of us will need to keep a lookout when we go to sleep."

Savannah went to get firewood, accompanied by Chris. Althea remained with Shin as they all got out some tents. Arianna pulled some salmon from her rucksack to cook for their dinner.

"I kinda still want to know what happened, but I won't push you, Chris" said Lloyd.

"Thanks, though I have a feeling we'll see Zarloc again. Its not the first time he tried to take my life..." The brunette Adventurer trailed off.

Savannah helped set up the campfire so Arianna could cook the fish. Trent was still setting up his tent when he addressed the others"So if anyone's up to a story before bed, what's to tell?"

"Hm." Lloyd thought for a moment before grinning"Hey, I know a good one. A boy, a girl and their spiritual guide who set out on a journey to restore balance to their world."

"Are you referring to Emil and Marta's quest to awaken Ratatosk?" chirped Colette.

"Yeah, it was a good one. Only uncool thing about it is that I nearly got totally framed by Decus" frowned the red-clad brunette.

"Who's Decus?" piped Savannah, who'd finished setting up her tent.

Colette shrugged"Decus and a woman named Alice worked for the Vanguard, a group led by Commander Brute. His daughter, Marta was originally a member of the Vanguard, until... something changed. The Vanguard was originally a good organization."

"The Vanguard was formed to restore a lost dynasty. But Commander Brute was driven mad by the power of a Centurion's core. Emil and Marta journeyed to collect Centurions's cores and often fought the Vanguard. Its a bit of a long story" shrugged Lloyd.

"You two sound like you were directly involved in the boy and girl's quest" remarked Alexander.

Arianna listened silently as she cooked the fish for a bit before serving a portion to each of her allies.

Colette continued"Lloyd was looking for Centurions' cores to stop Ratatosk from destroying the world. Of course Professor Sage, myself and the rest of our friends didn't know until shortly after we defeated Commander Brute and most of the Vanguard."

"There's more. Emil wasn't really Emil, he is actually an incarnation of Ratatosk. The real Emil probably died during a massacre in Palmacosta, Decus was the perpetrator of course" frowned Lloyd as he received his portion of their dinner.

Rise and Stella gasped in astonishment at that part of the story. Althea grimaced"So Emil was a... spirit or something?"

"In a way. He and Marta eventually traveled to the Ginnungagap, where they duked it out with a rogue half-elf called Richter and sealed the gateway to the Demon World. Well actually, Emil as Ratatosk's vessel, elected to stay there. That's the gist of it, want me to tell you the whole thing?" grinned Lloyd.

"Thanks, but no thanks. The thought of a human actually being a spiritual being sounds absurd" frowned Stella.

"There's more, Emil and Marta loved each other, though it was kind of one-sided on Marta's part for a while. I don't know if they reunited or not, since Emil had Ratatosk's power and had to help repair the seal on the Demon World" shrugged Colette around a bite of salmon.

Shin listened attentively as he slowly ate his portion of salmon. Althea looked up with interest.

"So what happens next?" asked Aster.

"I really can't say, that's pretty much about it. I hadn't heard from Emil or Marta since we parted ways" shrugged Lloyd.

Arianna had finished her portion of the salmon"At any rate, we should all be asleep when we're done."

"Indeed" muttered Alexander.

The group made ready to turn in for the night upon finishing their dinner and cleaning up. Trent addressed Colette"Was any of it realy? The guy and girl, I mean."

"Yeah. Lloyd, me and the rest of our old friends helped Emil and Marta on more then occasion" nodded the blond chosen.

Chris piped up"Good night, everyone" and returned to his tent.

"Interesting story, I'll say that much" remarked Aster.

Rise simply shrugged.

* * *

Dawn came upon them in no time as Chris woke early to do some morning training with Barry. Trent and Arianna went to the campfire as soon as they woke to make breakfast.

Alexa, who had kept watch, turned to see Savannah going to the nearest river to bathe. With not more than a moment's thought, she went to join the Half-Elf at the river.

Aster woke and looked to see the two girls headed to the river. Rise kept a careful watch on her brother"You're... not thinking of peeping at them are you?"

"Nah, course not" shrugged her brother.

Trent and Arianna cooked up some Rice Porridge while the others got up and were getting ready for the day. Shin was still snoozing in his tent while Stella had woken from just outside Shin's tent, preferring to sleep outdoors.

Althea woke in her tent and walked to where Shin was sleeping and went over to the red-head"Hey, good morning."

Shin slowly stirred and woke with a smile when he saw who addressed him"Good morning."

"If we're all awake, I believe breakfast is just about ready. Trent and Arianna were doing the cooking" interjected Alexander.

The large group eventually went over to sit around the campfire as Arianna and Trent finished cooking and started distributing portions of the Rice Porridge to their companions.

"Man, this is good" remarked Aster around a bite of porridge.

"Thanks" said Arianna.

"What's going to happen with Savannah once we return?" asked Colette.

Alexander thought for a moment"Perhaps I can arrange a parole for her with King Irwin. Not to completely spare Savannah the consequences, mind you. She has acted most admirably, yesterday."

"Well, thanks a bunch, captain" muttered Savannah, sarcastically.

"A thief is still a person, I suppose" shrugged Alexa.

The group eventually finished their breakfast and packed away their camping gear. Alexander and Chris took point as they headed back to Viola, unaware that danger was just around the corner.

"Captain!" a soldier ran up to the group as they neared the gates.

"Sir Ryan? what's wrong? Why aren't you at your post?" asked Alexander.

"Thank goodness you're returned... Its about Sir Raven" said the man, hysteric.

"Raven? What about him?" asked Chris.

Ryan blurted out"He's gone loony, I tell you! Commander Raven and his squad murdered Sir Cedric and started a revolt. The royal family is in danger!"

Shin snuck away during the conversation, Althea noticed and quickly went after him. Oblivious, Captain Alexander bore a stunned look on his face for a moment then said"We have no time to lose. Everyone, to the castle!"

"Right" Trent moved ahead before stopping when he saw two of their companions wander ahead"Huh? Shin and Althea have gone ahead."

"We must go after them" Colette and Lloyd ran on ahead. The rest of the group, along with Sir Ryan, followed.

* * *

"Shin, I don't think we should be going so far ahead of everyone else" gasped Althea as she caught up to the red-head.

Shin stopped for a moment to see two knights duking it out, one of them bore a crimson shield with the insignia for Raven's squad. Althea gasped"This is horrible."

Without thinking, Shin summoned forth his blade and charged at the crimson knight, stabbing him. The knight collapsed to the other man's surprise. Althea gasped"What's going on? Shin, you shouldn't just kill someone."

"Quite all right, my lady. I owe you two my life, my name is Roderick. That man was part of Sir Raven's squadron. I fear the man is after our king's life" interjected the other knight.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'm Althea" smiled the brunette martial artist.

Shin kept hold of his sword and ran towards the castle to look for Raven. Althea and Roderick hurried after him.

* * *

"So Raven is basically a bad egg, might have known from his actions when we first saw him" muttered Chris.

Alexander shrugged"I suspected as much, the man is much more capricious than you would think."

Arianna shrugged as their group rushed towards the castle. Upon their arrival, the group could see evidence of a dual in front of the castle gate. Seeing the dead man, Trent shrugged"So this 'Raven' guy is trying to overthrow the king?"

"Seems that way" said Arianna, rushing ahead.

* * *

Prince Kenneth and his friend, Malin were studying in the castle library when a dark-robed man shot through a nearby window and sneered as he saw his targets"Thought you two would've been more of a challenge. It's the grave for you and the prince."

'Blast, he's probably an assassin' thought Kenneth, standing up. He had no weapons, which meant he was likely easy prey.

"I'll take care of him" Malin grabbed his tome.

The man chuckled darkly as he drew a dagger"What will you do?"

"Ray of light, strike down my foe: Divine Saber!" Malin unleashed a ray of light, which struck down his and Kenneth's assailant.

"Fools" growled another dark-clad man who snuck in and approached Kenneth with a dagger"Surrender."

"Not on your life" Kenneth punched his assailant, staggering him. Malin turned and cast Saraphic Bolt on the assassin, killing him.

"How many of these men are there?" asked Kenneth.

Malin shrugged"I'm not sure, your highness. But I've heard rumors, and if I am right, those two were part of Zoldor's Shadow Brigade. Never thought they'd have the nerve to strike directly at Viola, though."

Kenneth headed for the door"Let's get out of here."

"I agree" shrugged the blue-haired teen.

* * *

Shin's group entered the castle and were accosted by several men with blue and red uniforms. Althea gasped at the sight of the leader of the enemy group"Who are you?"

"My name is Jerik, that's all you scum need to know. You'll have to go through me if you want to save your king" said the leader, brandishing his sword at the group before him.

Roderick stood forward with his sword"I know you're Sir Raven's lapdog, Jerik. What is he after?"

Jerik sneered"Is that not obvious? Sir Raven is in league with another country, and so am I. The kingdom is as good as done for once the prince and the king have fallen. Serving under Sir Raven leaves me with no regrets, but enough talk."

Shin darted forward and stabbed Jerik, who staggered and stabbed at the red-head. Shin grunted in pain before thrusting at the knight, who dodged and charged forward.

"I don't think so, Triple Strike!" Althea lunged forward and knocked Jerik back with a flurry of kicks and punches.

Two of Jerik's men charged at Roderick, who barely managed to deflect their blows with his sword before countering. But at that moment, several grey, black and brown soldiers infiltrated the room through the window.

"Zoldor's soldiers, just our luck" grumbled Roderick, readying himself. Shin and Althea had managed to knock Jerik down before rushing to Roderick's side.

"Hold on!" Alexander's group caught up and intercepted the dark-clad soldiers in a brawl.

Jerik got up and said"I'm not through yet."

"Want to bet?" Chris summoned forth his blade and cast a fireball at the rogue knight, knocking him backwards.

Ian and Brandon were back-to-back as they fought off several Zoldor soldiers. A Shadow Brigade soldier irritably darted forward and stabbed Brandon. The injured knight staggered and stabbed his assailant.

Ian cut down another soldier before being stabbed in the back by another Zoldor soldier.

Alexa, Lloyd, Colette, Arianna, Savannah, Aster and Trent fought off the rest of Jerik's squad while Rise and Stella took charge of healing their injured companions as the fight wore on.

"Party's over, Jerik" hissed Alexa, readying her blade.

"You couldn't possibly..." Jerik trailed off.

The elf knight darted forward and swung her blade down, blasting Jerik with an elemental attack"Lightning Strike!"

* * *

Kenneth and Malin took a secret passage to the entrance hall and emerged to see the end of a medium-scale skirmish. Kenneth walked forward, recognizing the victors"Captain Alex, welcome back."

"Prince Kenneth, thank goodness you and Lord Malin are safe. What of Marquis Indoctus and King Irwin?" asked Alexander.

"I fear the worst" sighed Malin.

Trent glanced at the double-doors leading to the throne room"Do you think Raven is beyond here?"

Chris shrugged"Most likely."

Alexander nodded"Very well, then. Althea, Shin, Trent, Arianna, Lloyd, Colette, Aster, Rise, Stella, come with me. The rest of you scour the castle for any remaining Zoldor Soldiers and help any of the knights who are still loyal to our king."

"Roger that" nodded Alexa.

Kenneth approached"Captain Alex, I want to help save my father."

"It will be dangerous" replied Alexander.

"I can help keep the prince safe" piped Malin.

Alexander shrugged"Very well."

Shin rushed through the double doors ahead of the rest of the group, much to Althea's shock.

"Guess we better make sure Shin doesn't hurt himself" sighed Colette.

* * *

King Irwin stood in front of his throne as he skillfully cut down two rogue knights with a royal rapier. The man knew he was a bit too old to fight for very long, but he had his family and kingdom to think about.

"Lord Irwin, we must flee at once" his advisor, Marquis Indoctus, stood with a tome in his hand.

King Irwin shrugged"I still have some fight left in me, but you're right as usual. Whatever may come, I am prepared to lay down my life for my kingdom."

The double-doors opened and several more people came in. Ahead of them was Shin. King Irwin recognized them"Welcome back."

"Your majesty, you and Marquis Indoctus are safe. But what of your guards?" asked Alexander.

The king grimly replied"Several of my guard came to Avwood and my defense as soon as we were attacked by Zoldor soldiers and what looked like members of Raven's squad. The guards who came to escort me to safety were killed in the skirmish."

"What of Queen Sasha?" asked the knight captain.

Before King Irwin could reply, a voice called out"Hellooooooooooooooooo."

"Huh?" Trent and the others looked around.

"Raven?" asked Alexander.

The group looked around until they saw Raven standing above them on a balcony railing on a higher floor, a malicious smile was etched on the dark-haired High Knight's face.

Colette summoned her wings and flew up, intending to attack with her chakrams. Raven swatted her aside with his metal arm before turning his attention to the group"You have fallen into my trap."

"Raven El Taire, prepare to face judgement. I place you under arrest" challenged Alexander.

"And I shall hereby place you all deceased" grinned Raven, raising his sword arm to signal a hidden squad of Zoldor Soldiers to jump down the opposite balcony and accost the group.

"Doggonit!" Aster cut down a soldier before being attacked by another.

Raven turned his attention to King Irwin while the others were distracted and summoned forth a barrage of magical swords"Sword Rain!"

Irwin took a blow to his chest, while his advisor used his tome to try and shield himself, only to take a few blows to his legs.

"Father!" Kenneth rushed forward to see King Irwin collapse from his injury.

"Oh, how easy this was" grinned Raven.

Aster and Chris helped take down the Shadow brigade soldiers while Trent readied himself"Raven, you coward!"

Lloyd had run over to Collete, who had fallen to the ground and checked her injuries. To his relief, she had only suffered a mild bruise. The blond chosen got up"Think we can take him?"

"I don't know, but we have to try" replied Trent.

Raven jumped down from the balcony and slashed at the injured Marquis Indoctos, only for Malin to rush in and shove his father out of the way, taking a heavy blow to the thigh.

"Malin! Father!" cried Kenneth.

King Irwin gasped as he struggled to cling to life"Kenneth... I'm sorry..."

"What's wrong, Alex? Couldn't protect your king?" sneered Raven, turning his attention to the knight captain.

Rise rushed forward and proceeded to heal Malin with a spell"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks" grunted the young noble.

Black mist emitted from Raven's metal arm as he made ready to blast Alexander"Black Moon!" he charged forward and slammed his fist into the knight captain. Alexander was thrown back by the impact and fell to the ground, knocked out. Trent saw this and charged forward with an upward thrust, only to be knocked backwards by a kick.

"Fireball!" Chris cast a spell, only for Raven to dodge and slash at the male brunette. Chris blocked before stabbing at Raven, who jumped backwards and thrust at the brunette.

"Demon fang!" Trent's arte barely dented Raven's armor. The High Knight dodged the arte and swung his metal arm at Trent. Shin darted forward with a thrust, only to be swatted aside.

"Bet you haven't been introduced to twin blades" remarked Lloyd, charging forward and swinging his swords one after the other. Raven expertly blocked them and kicked Lloyd back.

Arianna charged at Raven from the side"Full Moon Strike!"

Raven jumped over the arte and shoved Arianna down before igniting his hand in magic dark fire before grabbing Arianna's hair and pummeled her. He then unleashed a flurry of sword slashes at the group before finishing with a huge slash"Black Runner!"

"That does it" Arianna recovered and cast a healing spell on herself and her allies.

Trent, Shin, Chris, Lloyd and Colette regrouped and faced Raven with their weapons ready. The dark-haired knight sneered"You'll never make it out of here alive, fool" before unleashing Sword Rain. The group dodged, and then Shin darted forward and stabbed Raven in his metal arm.

Grunting in pain, Raven staggered back and countered with a sword slash at Trent. The blond barely dodged while Arianna spun her dual blade before hurling it at Raven"Face my fury, by the spirits of Wind and Thunder, strike down my foe: Blade Rondo!"

Raven was thrown backwards, and a stone bracelet flew out of his pocket. Althea gasped"Could that be-?"

Arianna noticed the bracelet as well and went to grab it, putting the bracelet into her pocket before addressing Raven"You have lost."

"You..." Raven let out a low growl before readying another Black Moon, only to gasp in pain as he felt his metallic arm burn"Blast you."

"You might have wanted to think about what would happen when you killed the king" remarked Althea, aiming a kick at Raven's metallic arm.

Raven jumped backwards as the celling above them shattered and a massive silver dragon descended.

"What the heck?" Trent gasped.

"That's my ride" Raven grinned before jumping aboard the dragon"This is not over yet, you brats!"

The group watched in astonishment as the dragon flew off with Raven in its back. Arianna shrugged"Well that's over."

Trent smiled"Yeah, shame he escaped."

Kenneth sat near his father's prone form while Malin and Marquis Indoctus approached. The older blue-haired man groaned"Just what am I going to tell Queen Sasha? I failed to keep his majesty safe."

"That wasn't your fault, sir" spoke Chris.

Arianna retrieved the bracelet from her pocket and handed it to Shin"Here, it's yours, correct?"

Shin beamed"My bracelet! You found it!" and took the item in hand.

Alexander, who was knocked out, got up and stood"Is everyone all right?"

"King Irwin is dead" spoke Malin's father.

Kenneth stood there, fighting back tears at the sight of his father's broken body. Malin went over to comfort his friend"Sorry about your father."

Kenneth nodded before standing"I never really thought Sir Raven would betray us."

Nearby, Shin made to put on his bracelet, which had a spike on it. Before Arianna could stop him, the red-head put on the bracelet and cried out as it snapped shut on his wrist and the room began to glow.

"Whoa, what's happening?" asked Colette as she and the others covered their eyes.

The light shone throughout the room for a moment before beginning to dissipate. Once it passed, Trent and the others who shielded their eyes glanced at where Shin stood. In his place was a purple-haired young man in his late teens. Everyone else stood, not knowing what to make of this development.

* * *

How was it? And excuse the cliffhanger, I will continue in another chapter. Again, I tried to keep it as original as possible.

**Trent: Whoa, how original. Though some parts might still have been like the forum.**

**Arianna: Perhaps...**

I may or may not have made sense in some areas, but I tried my best with this.

**Shin: Well, Raven still kinda got what he deserved, yet he still lives...**

**Mike: I don't think I will kill off Raven until towards the end of the fic. The ultimate villain for the story itself probably won't be revealed for a few more chapters yet.**

By the way, please feel free to review.


	11. Tides of Intrigue and Mystery

Next chapter's up and running. But first-Namco Bandai created the the Tales of Series, even the characters, locations, etc.

Most of the OCs aren't mine, either.

* * *

Chapter X: Tides of Intrigue and Mystery

Trent and most of the others glanced at the purple-haired young man. Althea hesitantly approached him first"Shin?"

In response, the young man glanced at his friends"... Trent? Arianna? Chris? Alexander? Althea? Aster? Rise? Stella? We're all alive... I'm alive, too?"

"Shin, you've really changed" smiled Stella.

"But what exactly was the property of your bracelet?" asked Arianna.

Shin shrugged"This bracelet injects Cryas into my bloodstream, same goes for all other Fel-Rae. When mine was taken... I guess it triggered a side effect and rewound my internal clock by a few years."

"You turned into a kid when your bracelet was taken? Interesting" remarked Chris.

"That's what the side-effect was for the most part. Most Fel-Rae get in worse shape if his or her bracelet is taken or destroyed, worse case scenario is that a Fel-Rae would go feral and lose their sense of self" spoke Shin, then looked around"Blast! Raven escaped, and King Irwin is dead."

"No kidding, he escaped on some kind of dragon. How the heck could he do that?" wondered Lloyd.

"Beats me. But what exactly IS a Fel-Rae?" said Colette.

"Fel-Rae are humanoids with the blood of demons coursing through their veins. You and Lloyd aren't from Viola, are you, Colette?" responded Shin.

The blond Chosen thought for a moment on her answer"Well, I can't really explain it, but Lloyd and I happened on some kind of artifact in a forgotten ruin on an island east of the main continent. When Lloyd touched it, it zapped him and me into this dimension."

Savannah, Brandon, Ian, Alexa and Barry shortly joined them in the throne room, accompanied by a middle-aged woman in white robes, pants and a tunic. Trent addressed Savannah"How is everything?"

"We cleared out the remaining Zoldor soldiers that were attacking the palace, High Commander Edwin assisted in dealing with them. I was nearly captured when this cute little Ursun saved me from two Zoldor soldiers who accosted me. But what exactly happened here?" spoke the middle-aged woman.

Barry struggled to contain a blush from being called cute.

Marquis Indoctus spoke up"My Queen, Captain Alexander managed to come to the aid of the king and I. But despite his group's efforts, Sir Raven managed to kill King Irwin. The group drove him off, but I fear we have lost a great monarch."

The queen's eyes widened when she saw the broken body of her husband"Irwin!" She ran over and knelt before her husband's corpse. Blinking a tear and taking a deep breath, the queen stood to address the group"I never imagined that Zoldor would go that far, Raven El Taire must have been their puppet all along."

"Zoldor? Isn't that the military power that's currently at war with Anorab?" piped Trent.

The queen nodded"It is as my husband has feared, Zoldor has grown aggressive as of late. Rumors of a malevolent Sorceress have reached our ears, the three kingdoms are not safe from the yoke of Zoldor invasion. Ah, before I say any more, I am the queen of Viola to those who do not know. My full name is Sasha Ransius Viola."

"Your majesty, there is more I need to report. First of all, we completed the mission to the forgotten temple of Mua where we uncovered ancient murals using the rainbow jewel" spoke Alexander.

"W-what? You managed to find ancient secrets at an old temple? Fascinating..." mussed the Marquis.

"I will send for some Scholars and a couple of our available knights to decipher the murals. What else do you need me to know?" pressed Queen Sasha.

"Have you heard of a man named Zarloc? He's a Necromancer, or at least that's what we learned. We encountered Zarloc in Muah Temple." asked Trent. Chris tensed for a moment at the sound of the name.

The queen pondered for a moment"I do not know everything, myself. Necromancy is considered by many the most foulest of the dark arts, as the spirits of the deceased are said to be enslaved by their summoners to do his or her bidding. To hear that one such Necromancer is at large troubles me as much as Raven's betrayal and the assault on our castle by Zoldor's Shadow Brigade."

"There is one more matter I wish to discuss, it concerns Savannah. She is Sven Kells, but she helped a little with finding a missing bracelet and searching the temple in the forest south of Questa. If possible, I want Savannah to be put on parole" spoke Alexander.

Marquis Indoctus and Malin were surprised. The younger blue-haired young man spoke"Captain, are you sure?"

"Silence, I trust that Captain Alexander is a good judge of character, I have no reason to doubt him" interjected Queen Sasha, a look in her eyes daring the older Indoctus family member to object.

Trent shrugged"So Raven, the sorceress and the Necromancer have to be stopped."

Sasha nodded"You are correct, but these matters go beyond that of Viola's resources. A Necromancer can easily obliterate an army, and I have no doubt that the mysterious sorceress commands the Zoldor Empire. If war is upon us, Viola could be destroyed inside of a week if the Necromancer strikes. We wouldn't last long against Zoldor either. We must request aid from the elven kingdom to the northwest."

"Verde Kingdom... I've visited it, once" muttered Chris, who had been listening. Memories of the past swam through his mind as he heard the word Necromancer mentioned.

"Think the elves would help us?" asked Trent.

"King Lorian the Wise is a fair and just elven monarch from what I have heard. He will surely see the danger and do what is best for his people. A small group from among yourselves will go to Verde and ask King Lorian for his help. You will also track down Raven if you can and slay the traitor" spoke Queen Sasha.

"Mother, may I lead the team headed for Verde Kingdom? It would provide me with some experience that I could put to good use once I inherit the throne" spoke Kenneth.

"If the prince is going, I shall go with him if that's allowed" spoke Malin.

Queen Sasha hesitated, then replied"Very well, is anyone willing to accompany these two?"

"I'll go to Verde as well" piped Trent.

Shin grinned"Heh, I suppose I'll go with the same group as Trent."

"I'd like to come, if that's okay" smiled Althea.

Arianna spoke"I shall go with them. I have no other jobs, anyway."

Chris smiled"Well, Barry and I would be happy to go along."

"You bet" piped the Ursun.

"Savannah, how about you?" asked Arianna.

The master thief shrugged"I guess I'll go with y'all. Though I'm not really looking forward to it."

"Aster, Rise, Stella, Lloyd, Colette, would you mind coming with us?" asked Trent.

Aster shrugged"Why not?"

"We'd love to come" smiled Colette.

"Sounds unanimous. I'd say you have quite a large party on your hands, my prince" spoke Marquis Indoctus.

Kenneth nodded"True, and I pray all goes well."

"Captain Alex, you should remain here for the time being and help strengthen defenses in Viola" instructed the queen.

Alexander nodded"Yes, my queen."

Alexa spoke"May I be permitted to accompany the scholars Queen Sasha sends to Muah Temple?"

"Of course" responded the knight captain.

"Then its settled, we have a team for the diplomatic mission at Verde Kingdom. I pray that by our efforts, we can defeat the Zoldor Empire as well as bring Raven to justice" spoke Queen Sasha.

Chris grinned"So what are we waiting for?"

Trent's group bowed and filed from the throne room, unknowing that Zoldor was watching them.

* * *

In a castle to the southeast, a mysterious Sorceress watched using a crystal artifact as Trent and his group made ready to go to Verde. The mystery woman spoke"That silly Queen Sasha thinks to outfox me. The Violan prince has quite a formidable force with him, though."

"It would be a piece of cake to have Zarloc destroy them, but it would hardly be entertaining now, would it?" remarked a mystery man.

The mystery woman smirked"True enough, my friend. But really, as you know, his undead legion would be helpless before the Nova Brigade."

"I don't think so somehow, Necromancy is a formidable dark power. Frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't unleashed it on any of the other kingdoms besides the one he supposedly decimated" mussed the mystery man.

"He would not dare use it on Zoldor, even Verde and Viola have much better fighters than Garnet must have had. Either way, do keep a tab on Zarloc in case he decides to betray me, will you? Though I doubt it would be necessary to do so" spoke the mystery woman.

The mystery man nodded"It will be done."

* * *

Trent's group departed Viola Castle. The prince spoke"The quickest way to Verde Kingdom is through the west gate."

"So let's get to it" smiled Savannah.

They trekked through the west gate, determined to get to Verde Kingdom as soon as they could. Trent addressed Kenneth"So where does King Lorian the Wise live?"

The prince replied"The capital of Verde is Greenwood, north of the town of Appia. Both are ruled by Elves, but they'll sometimes let humans into their cities. They probably have treated with other races as well, but I don't know for sure. According to rumors, no one from Viola has been there on a whim, the elves don't take prisoners if they're forced to fight."

"Technically, that is not necessarily true. The elf king won't kill anyone if he doesn't have to" said Chris, looking up for a moment '_Aella._'

"Something wrong?" asked Arianna.

"Nothing" replied Chris as they walked.

* * *

Sorry this chapter was shorter than the last, but it is mostly filler content. About Aella, you'll have to wait a couple chapters to find out who she is, but she's Fishyputnam's OC.

**Arianna: Savannah's past will unravel in the next chapter, I presume.**

**Colette: I feel bad for Chris and Savannah, they are quite tragic.**

The story's main antagonists have been introduced in a vague way, but more about them will be revealed eventually. They won't necessarily be the ultimate villains though, but their role is as major as Raven's.

**Aella (pops in): What's up? As stated above, I am Aella, Fishyputnam's OC. Apparently, I am dead in the Tales of Time forum and in the original, albeit deleted Tales of Roleplaying forum which this fic is based on. But that matters little.**

**Trent: Maybe your death is only temporary in Tales of Time like it is in Lance's case.**

**Arianna: Why do we discuss this here? That will be up to Fishyputnam to decide, not us.**

**Trent: True enough.**

**Aella: Chris can't possibly want to save me if he does not want to disturb my peaceful afterlife anyway.**

**Arianna: Let's not hurl insults at anyone.**

**Dragon: (roars)**

**Alexander: Put that dragon out of there, he doesn't belong here.**

**Sasha: Yes sir.**

**Aella: (sighs) You're getting insufferable, Author...**

**Mike: Gosh, I'm taking too big of a chance, here.**

**Alexander: (chuckles) Yeah, the above could be coming a bit close to a booting off this website and the Tales of Time forum.**

**Aella: Well, whatever. If you please, review this chapter if you so wish to.**

**Mike: I guess I should apologize... I'm not mocking Tales of Time or any of the characters in it, in case you and Kazane are wondering, Fishy. I'm not mocking the website's rules either. Just a bit of humor, though I apologize if it is not funny.**

I apologize in advance, Fishy. But I'll accept it if you decide to report me.


	12. Appia-Savannah's Past

A new chapter is up and ready. I'm throwing in three OCs that I'm using in my newest forum: Tales of Radiance. An OC from my second Kingdom Hearts/Dissidia: Final Fantasy crossover will be making an appearance as well, except she's not human for the purpose of the backstory in this chapter.

This chapter is mostly talking, but explains Savannah's past. Oh, and in Tales of Radiance, Caeden and Arlene are completely different. And the backstory for Savannah was actually Castle Darkmoon's idea.

Disclaimer: Tales of Graces and Tales of Symphonia were created by Namco Bandai along with their respective characters, locations, etc.

Most of the OCs here aren't mine, either. And about the song used briefly in this chapter, I don't know what its called, but it isn't mine.

* * *

Chapter XI: Appia-Savannah's Past.

The trek from Viola to the kingdom of Verde led the group to a vast mountain range. The brunette prince led his group up the trail, taking the time to explain"The elven nation is semi-isolated from Viola, they mostly keep to themselves. This mountain range is one of the few routes leading into their kingdom."

"Why do they?" asked Aster.

"The Elves of the kingdom of Verde have vast magical prowess which surpass that of humans, though the Manamaid race is said to rival or even surpass them with their magic capabilities. Both races keep themselves isolated to avoid conflict, supposedly" replied Kenneth.

"What's a Manamaid?" piped Althea.

Arianna responded as they continued"Manamaids are a race of people who dwell within the ocean, but they can walk on land if they choose. They may be neutral like Prince Kenneth said, but most Manamaids have a nasty temper, not to be trifled with."

"Fascinating" muttered Malin, who was listening.

The group passed through the mountain range, which did not take long before they reached the greenish landscape on the other side. Trees lined the path ahead, Savannah grinned"Pretty naturey, don't you think? I've been here once, but that was about it."

"They sure don't call Verde a forest kingdom for nothing" remarked Chris.

"Which way is Greenwood?" asked Trent.

"Its to the northeast of here, past the town of Appia" frowned Savannah, taking point.

"Is something bothering you, Savannah?" asked Colette.

The Master Thief shrugged as she led the way. To clear her thoughts and stave off boredom, she consented to perform a song"_Cross the borderline of black and white and climb the stairway, up, up we go_."

The song sent a slight shiver down Chris's spine"Cute."

Savannah grinned"You really think so?"

"Yeah, kind of reminds me of someone else who sung it once, though" said Chris, thinking on his own past.

Malin muttered to himself"Bet your voice sounded like a dying monster."

The group followed the tree-lined path. Shin, Lloyd, Colette, Althea, and Arianna glanced at the surroundings. The better part of the afternoon as spent walking until they came to a medium-sized town surrounded by a small forest.

"Appia, I presume" said Chris.

Savannah nodded, walking towards the town. The others followed, wondering what their companion was thinking about. A pair of Elven Sentinels stood guard on either side of the town gates. One of them spoke"Halt."

"Merely passing through, we're on our way to Greenwood" grunted Savannah.

The other guard hesitated"For whatever reason? If you have no business in Appia, I suggest you all leave and go the long way around. Lady Arlene is not allowing outsiders to come into this town, today."

"What's going on?" A purple-haired young man approached, looking very similar to Savannah. Savannah's gaze drifted to the young man as he approached from the inner town.

"Captain" one of the guards, a red-haired young elf addressed him"These people are passing through to the capital. Should we let them pass?"

The young man critically examined the group before speaking"Alexandra, Jared, let them pass. I will take full responsibility. As for the lot of you, I suggest you stay at the inn before you proceed out the north gate. The forest surrounding our capital can be treacherous, so you may want to wait until morning."

"Who are you, anyway?" asked Savannah, still not taking her eyes of the youth.

The young man spoke"I am Caeden, Captain of the Verdein Sentinel garrison stationed here in Appia and son of the local Duchess. Now if you'll excuse me, I must return to my duties."

"I see. Well, my name is Savannah Kalley" said the master thief.

'Whoa, how regimented' thought Lloyd.

"Thanks" piped Trent.

Caeden nodded, then walked back into the inner city, stopping to glance back at Savannah for a moment'That girl... why does she... No, it couldn't be.'

Savannah's thoughts mirrored Caeden's as she led her group into the city'Why does that Caeden guy look so much like me? Just a coincidence?'

Althea addressed Alexandra, one of the two guards"Is he always intense?"

"Not exactly, he just does his job like the rest of us. Caeden... He isn't the type to dwell on his past, but there was this embarrassing incident between Lady Arlene and a human man from over nineteen years ago... I'm sorry, but I best say no more" said Alexandra, apologetically.

Caeden approached Savannah"On second thought, why not come with me to my mother's manor? There's just something... about you."

"A-about me?" stammered Savannah, flustered.

Caeden elaborated"You don't have to if you do wish to. You said your last name is Kellay, correct?"

"Yes, my dad's last name was Kellay. But why ask me?" spoke Savannah.

"I can't really explain it... Morbid curiosity, I suppose" said the man.

Chris and the others listened. Kenneth addressed Caeden after a moment's silence"May the rest of us accompany you? I should very much like to meet Lady Arlene and explain our presence in her town, though its something I need to take up with your king. I am the Prince of Viola."

"I see. Very well" said Caeden, leading the way.

The group headed through towards a medium-sized manor at the northwest corner of town. Upon entering, Savannah was amazed to see the stone interior of the place lined with a blue carpet with a checkered tile underneath. The walls were a plain light blue.

"Nice place" remarked Chris.

"Indeed, it is my family's pride and joy. Not anywhere as grand as I hear Verde Palace is, but its still impressive" spoke Caeden, leading upstairs and to a set of double doors on the second floor.

"Is the lady of the house in that room?" asked Malin.

Caeden nodded, opening the doors into a large study. Behind the desk was a middle-aged elven woman with dark lavender hair and a greenish tunic with brown pants. From what the group could tell, she was a typical elf. Savannah was astonished to see that she too bore a resemblance to herself.

"Lady Arlene, I presume?" asked Kenneth, diplomatically.

The woman looked up from where she was doing paperwork"What do you want? Ah" she glanced at Savannah for a moment before shaking her head and returning her attention to her paperwork, uttering"Get out."

"What's your problem, lady?" Savannah walked forward.

Lady Arlene sighed heavily, refusing to meet the younger girl's eyes"Did you not hear what I just said?"

"My lady, if I may be permitted to speak, my group came to your town while on our way to Greenwood to speak to your king about an alliance. The Zoldor Empire threatens our two kingdoms. My name is Kenneth, prince of Viola. Malin, my best friend, is a nobleman from the same country" spoke Kenneth.

"W-what?" Arlene looked up sharply, annoyed at the continued interruption"It surprises me not that Verde could be facing a threat from any of the other kingdoms, anything Zoldor tosses at us we would send them back in spades. Oh, and Caeden, why did you bring her here?"

"I'm sorry mother, but there was something about Savannah, here. I know you refuse to speak whenever I ask about who my father was, but Savannah shares the same last name as he" replied Caeden.

"I see... I do apologize for sounding curt at a time like this... But I am reminded of HIM whenever I hear the name 'Kalley', and the sight of her all the more reminds me of the reason for my embarrassment of that day" shrugged the noblewoman, signing a sheet of paper before looking at another.

"Was there something between you, Savannah and Caeden?" asked Arianna.

Arlene was silent for a moment before letting out a small sigh"Do not misunderstand, I am pleased to see that the girl I gave birth to has grown to be beautiful like Caeden, but Half-Elves aren't well-liked among my people. Even when the idealist Prince Lorian was crowned king, my people still harbor slight mistrust of the other races. Hence, the primary reason why the baby girl was left to her father while I raised my baby boy by myself."

"Are you saying... That you are my... My mother?" asked Savannah, astonished.

Caeden stood in shocked silence.

The elf noblewoman shrugged"It was nineteen years and a month ago, when it began. Two years after the current monarch of Verde, Lorian was crowned king, in fact. His policies still haven't taken hold entirely, but that's not the point. What I speak of is the incident which has caused some embarrassment to my family."

"I've heard this story before at a pub, the tale of a young man and a young elven noble. Some say they fell in love, others say that he accidently raped her while he was drunk" remarked Arianna.

"Like I said, it was over nineteen years ago. I was well into my early twenties, when I was gathering herbs at a clearing not far from here. A pack of black wolves accosted me, I had only a lance, I still hadn't learned much in the way of magic. I could not defeat them all by myself, but I had to try. I managed to defeat two of my opponents and was nearly killed by the third when he showed up" said Arlene.

"Who was it?" asked Malin.

Arlene reluctantly replied"He was a young mercenary, around my age. His name was Henry."

"Henry? The swordsman who's ranked highest on the number of completed Guild Quests? The legendary swordsman, himself?" asked Arianna, intrigued.

Arlene nodded"Yes, he was quite handsome, too. He defeated the remaining wolves, single-handedly and accompanied me back to town. My parents were wary of him, but he earned their trust eventually. In that time, I was smitten with him... But our love was forbidden, so we kept it secret."

"Sounds like my old man all right, but what was he to you?" piped Savannah.

The older woman replied, sparing a quick glance at Savannah"I felt like I could trust him, for he had in fact been hunting down the very wolf pack that attacked me back then. But one day..." she trailed off.

"What's wrong, mother?" asked Caeden, concerned.

Arlene was quiet"It was when you were born, Caeden. But you weren't alone, the girl I am about to speak of is your twin sister."

"What? I'm Caeden's brother?" asked Savannah, astonished.

"So that's why... Savannah, I felt it in my bones, but I could not think of why you looked so much like me" spoke Caeden.

Arlene continued, albeit reluctantly"There's more. The very day that Caeden and his sister were born, my parents and I were horrified. Henry was happy, though he was just as shocked as I was. He wanted to take responsibility, but I was too proud of my heritage. We stayed together for five more years so I could see how elf-like the girl would turn out."

"Sounds racist" muttered Trent.

"I think there's a deeper reason" whispered Chris.

Arlene had stopped, not wanting to continue. Caeden and Savannah just continued to listen, the initial shock of their relation slowing wearing off.

"We were too young to remember, now that I think upon it" mussed Caeden.

"So what happened to Savannah and her father?" asked Colette.

Arlene sighed, closing her eyes as tears threatened to emerge"I loved him, but my parents insisted on keeping our bloodline pure. I turned Henry down when he asked to marry me, and sent him off with Savannah. It was the one way I could protect them from my people's prejudice towards Half-Elves. I was so ashamed of the incident, I wanted to drown myself. Caeden however, I kept to raise by myself. My parents were stricken with the same shame as I, but now they are gone, they were so old at the time. Still, I wish I knew what became of the mercenary."

"My old man? He's been stricken by illness for the past year, I took to thieving so I could buy him the medicine he needed, quickly. His time is now short. Chris, Rich Boy, you didn't hear me say this, but that's why I became Sven Kells" said Savannah.

Arlene stood up, alarmed"M-my love... is sick? How horrid... I never heard from him since that day, to hear he is alive relieves me, but it pains me to know this... Truthfully, I am still ashamed of the incident."

"Savannah, I had no idea" whispered Malin, shocked.

"I don't need your sympathy, Rich Boy" snapped Savannah.

The noblewoman smiled"Still, you've grown big and strong like your brother, Savannah. I wish now that I could've run away with you, your brother and your father. You all have my trust for reuniting my and Caeden to Savannah, how I wish I could turn back time and change this. But Savannah, why had you decided to become a thief?"

"I felt like I've had no other choice, my old man needed the medicine and the Apothecary was so friggn' expensive" grunted the younger girl.

The noblewoman stood"You are free to stay the night in Appia. Savannah, I will try to procure my people's special elixir blend for you to take to your father. Its the least I could do. You're headed for Greenwood with your friends, correct?"

"You bet, but why are you helping me?" asked Savannah.

"Its the best way to make it up to you and your father, my family's pride prevented me from doing more than what I did when you were only five. My parents only let me keep Caeden by my side because he resembled an elf more than his sister" smiled the older woman.

Savannah smiled back"Thank you, I suppose. Oh, and my old man and I had been staying at a cabin to the southwest of Questa, just so you know."

"Good to know, in case I miss you because I couldn't obtain this medicine. Caeden, will you help me with this?" asked the elf.

"How can I not?" replied Caeden.

"Then we are in agreement. Anyway, I'm not too certain my king will permit an alliance with another country, but I will give you a letter of introduction so the guards at Greenwood will let you into the capital if they see my signature for sure. If King Lorian gets upset, he can send me to prison" smiled Arlene.

"Your help is appreciated, my lady" bowed Chris.

The noblewoman wrote up a small letter and handed it to Arianna, who nodded her thanks.

As Trent's group headed out of the manor to find the inn, Caeden addressed Arlene"So where is the medicine I must find?"

"It should be sold at local item shop, if not, we'll just have to make it ourselves" replied his mother.

* * *

Sorry for the complete lack of action, but this chapter and the next is mostly about the group's trip to King Lorian and forming an alliance. This may not have been completely accurate for the backstory Darkmoon had in mind, but I did my best with it. Also, sorry if it was a bit sad.

Caeden will likely not show up again until the chapter after the next one. And I'm not sure when to throw in Umiko and Winter.

Please feel free to review.


	13. Greenwood

Here you go, the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Tales of Graces and Symphonia are the creations of Namco Bandai, as well as their respective characters, locations, etc. Some of the OCs used here are not mine.

**Aella: Such redundancy. Couldn't you be a bit more dynamic about it?**

**Chris: Don't let that bother you, Aella.**

* * *

Chapter XII: Greenwood

Trent and his group went to the inn after saying good-bye to Caeden and Lady Arlene. Malin glanced a few times at Savannah, not knowing what to say, being a sheltered, spoiled noble most of his life and not knowing much of what goes on outside the castle and his family's manor.

"You have something to say, Rich Boy?" said Savannah.

"Nothing" shrugged the blue-haired noble.

"So if you are the daughter of an elvin noble, do we need to address you any differently, Savannah?" asked Trent.

The master thief scoffed"As if, I'm better off the way things are. Don't go kissing up to me just because of my mother's station. That goes double for you, Rich Boy."

"Quit calling me that, my name is Malin!" sighed the blue-haired noble.

As the group headed into the inn, Kenneth addressed the others"Our recent audience with the Lady of Appia may have gone smoothly, though I suspect it may not go so well with King Lorian."

"Why is that?" asked Trent.

The Violan prince replied"He is a bit cautious, supposedly. The leader of the Verdien Sentinels, the main force of the elven army, is an elven woman named Marisa Dawne, I know of her by reputation."

"So you've never met her?" asked Shin.

"Neither the prince nor I have ventured into elven territory before. But twenty years ago, a skirmish had apparently broken out between Viola, Verde and Anorab. It was a bloody skirmish, all three were clashing over neutral lands to the far west. Eventually, a peace treaty was formed, for the three nations were too powerful and might've obliterated each other. The heroes of the respective armies were Sergeant Alexander of Viola who was promoted to commander after the battle, Commander Marisa Dawne of the elven warriors, and Prince Xander of Anorab before he was crowned, according to recent history books" replied Malin.

"So Verde is neutral because of the power of the elves?" asked Trent.

"Interesting" remarked Althea.

"That, and Anorab had superior technology, supposedly" shrugged Kenneth.

"Fascinating discussion, but should we ready ourselves for bed?" yawned Chris.

"Excellent idea" nodded Kenneth.

The group went over to the counter to pay for rooms for the night.

* * *

In the crumbled ruins of a southwestern land, The Necromancer glanced around his surroundings, pondering his next move. A ghostly soldier addressed him"Have you any new orders for us?"

"Of course, I intend to settle this with my old enemy once and for all" grinned Zarloc.

The wraith nodded"And what are your instructions?"

"Verde is not so far from here. As primitive an idea it seems like, I intend to use the ones 'Christopher' holds dear to lure him into a trap. Go do your part, I will go with you and take along a few more of my undying soldiers. The elves of Verde are in for a nasty surprise as well" sneered the Necromancer.

The undead soldier nodded, helpless to resist Zarloc's hold on him"As you wish, my master."

* * *

The sun rose in the horizon as Shin woke on the roof on the inn. Gazing at the sun for a while, the Fel-Rae felt content and hopped down. Althea was below looking at the flowers.

"Morning" grinned Shin.

"Good morning" smiled Althea, turning to greet him.

Shin glanced around, then said"Hey, when we're done with the mission, would you like to go out sometime?"

"Oh" Althea flushed"Um. I'll think about it. So what's new?"

"Nothing much, just taking in the scenery" grinned the Fel-Rae.

"Ooh, looks like a romantic scene here, kinda makes it hard to make an appearance" remarked a voice. Shin and Althea turned to see Aster spying on them near the entrance of the inn.

Althea and Shin flushed when they saw the red-clad swordsman spying on them. Shin squared his shoulders and walked back inside. Lloyd and Althea followed. The others were already up and having soup for breakfast at the lobby.

"Ready to hit the forest? That's where the elves's capital city is located" grinned Chris.

Kenneth nodded"As soon as we're done, let's go."

"What's the plan? I don't think the elves will just let us waltz in. What if the letter from the duchess does no good?" frowned Malin.

"It'll work out" smiled Colette.

The group finished breakfast and set out for the town of Greenwood. Shortly down the road, they came to a huge forest with a single path leading inward. Trent walked a head for a bit"The forest looks a bit... I dunno. What do you guys think?"

"Wait, someone's coming" said Arianna, glancing ahead.

Sure enough, several elves led by a elf woman in her late forties with short red hair, brownish pants, dark blue tunic and a green jerkin. Chris squared his shoulders"Well, just our luck, some of the Verdien Sentinels' elite guard: The High-Elves. That's commander Marisa Dawne, I imagine. I've seen her before."

"Really? They don't look that intimidating" shrugged Savannah.

The elf in charge of the squad spotted the group and walked forward"Halt. What business have the lot of you in the capital?"

"We came here to speak with our king about forming an alliance between his country and Viola. We come in peace, and we have a letter from Duchess Arlene of Appia" responded Kenneth, handing the elf woman the letter.

The commander in charge of the squad opened the letter and read it"Hm. Seriously... Zoldor is up to no good...Perhaps that explains the attack we had a few days ago in a skirmish with the Shadow Brigade. Very well, you may enter, but I must insist that my squad and I escort you to the palace. No funny business, or our blades will do the talking."

"Hold on. Its me, Christopher James Putnam" spoke the brunette dualblade wielder.

Marisa glanced at him"I see, I suppose I ought to have recognized you, Chris. But with a kingdom as big as Verde's, we cannot take unnecessary chances with outsiders. I never imagined seeing you again."

"Well, its is a bit of a long story. But I survived the tragedy of my homeland... What of you?" asked Chris.

The red-haired elf replied"Same as always. As for the rest of you, I am Marisa Dawne of the Verdien Sentinels. I do not know if the king will willingly accept your offer of an alliance, but I will escort you to him."

"Thank you" acknowledged Kenneth.

Marisa nodded and turned around"Follow my squadron. And stay close, everyone else may get a little suspicious of you like I was."

Kenneth led his group a short way behind the elf commander. The forest was a bit dimmer than the one that had surrounded Appia. Shin shrugged"Why do elves live in the dark? I thought Dark Elves did that."

"A settlement of Dark Elves resides in a forest to the west of here. Our king doesn't trust them, so my people kept their distance at his word. Do not speak of them lightly, here" spoke Marisa, leading the way.

Trent looked around before asking"So how do you know about Zoldor?"

"My people have fought in skirmishes against the eastern empire at a border fortress to the southeast. That is all I would say, for I am not at liberty to discuss the state of affairs with outsiders" replied Marisa.

"But if there have been skirmishes, why aren't you aiding the soldiers at the fortress you mentioned? Aren't you one of the three heroes from the war that took place twenty years ago?" asked Malin.

"I'm no heroine, I just go where I am assigned and do what I must. I only worked with Alex and Prince Xander to end the war and make peace because it was necessary. There were two other heroes in that war who helped foster a peace treaty between our countries, Lord Avewood and Prince Irwin" replied Marisa, bluntly.

Kenneth flinched at the mention of his dead father, but said nothing and kept walking. Trent and Malin meanwhile was surprised to hear of the heroism of their respective fathers.

The forest soon gave way to a large clearing with marble-stone and wooden buildings here and there. Verdien elves were walking the streets, some on patrol as they went about their daily business.

"What a majestic city" breathed Arianna.

Chris looked around"This place hasn't changed much." '_Aella_. _I never imagined I'd visit your hometown again since that night when our shared home fell._'

"Are you all right?" Colette asked.

Chris shook his head to clear his thoughts"Oh, I was just thinking on the past a bit. This place brings back memories."

The large group reached a wooden structure with stone columns and a marble roof. Arianna and Kenneth glanced at it, amazed by the sheer beauty of the place. The Violan prince addressed Marisa"Is this King Lorian's palace?"

"It is, you'd be surprised at the rich history of the kingdom of Verde. This ancient palace was constructed many years ago, bound together with ancient magic and years of common labor" replied the elf commander.

"Lady Marisa" a guard greeted them at the entrance.

The red-haired elf acknowledged the guard"These people are here for an audience with our king. They claim to be here to forge an alliance between this country and Viola. Now let us through."

"Yes ma'am" nodded the guard, letting the large group inside the palace. The inside was tiled with silver cobblestones and a majestic titanium celling. The place reminded the group outside the elven sentinels greatly of Viola's castle.

"The throne room is down the central corridor" spoke Marisa, leading them through the entrance hall, down a corridor in the great hall before them.

The group headed through the corridor to a set of double doors. Marisa opened it and led the large group inside. Two girls in their late teens were addressing the king within. One was clad in blue with blue hair, the other with white hair and a matching outfit. The elf king was a dark-haired man with pointy ears, blue eyes, dark green tunic with brown pants and a light green cape.

"So, is the latest shipment of gems to your liking, your majesty?" asked the white-haired woman.

The elf king nodded"Indeed. I will send the gems to my kingdom's blacksmith, and give you two-hundred gald, each. Will this be satisfactory?"

"Sure" said the blue-haired woman, shyly.

King Lorian nodded"Then consider it done, I trust that King Aquorron is faring well?"

"He is" nodded the blue-haired woman.

Marisa approached the throne"Pardon the interruption, my king. These people are here to discuss an alliance between Verde and Viola, our suspicions about the Zoldor Empire have been confirmed."

The two female Adventurers who were addressing the king turned to see the newcomers. The white-haired woman's eyes were fixed on the brunette young man with the cape and the royal crest of Viola'My, what a handsome hunk.'

"Commander Marisa, what is the meaning of this? Some of these people are humans, no?"

"King Lorian" Chris walked forward"It is like your commander said, both Verde and Viola are being threatened by the Zoldor Empire. Its recent attack killed King Irwin, aided by a man by the name of Raven El Taire."

King Lorian was silent for a moment"I see, so you have come to enlist the aid of my people. It is true that Zoldor has been getting restless, but I've thought their attention was drawn solely to us. The sorceress who supposedly governs it shows no quarter to those who oppose her."

"Raven is part of this, have you seen him?" asked Shin.

"No, I have not seen or heard of anyone by that name" replied the elf king, curtly.

"Luckily, the kingdom of Aquoria is safe from Zoldor. I heard that country does terrible things to others outside that realm" shrugged the blue-haired woman.

Chris looked at the two female Adventurers before speaking"If I may ask, who are these two fine young ladies?"

King Lorian replied"Warriors of Aquoria, a kingdom hidden away off the western coast. They were here on a delivery quest from their kingdom."

The white-haired girl smiled"Pleased to meet you. I am Winter Mashiro, my friend here is Umiko Karma."

Umiko nodded nervously"Hello."

"I am Kenneth, Prince of Viola" spoke the violan prince.

King Lorian continued"If the threat from Zoldor is as great as you say, then I shall send soldiers to fortify Viola and ready for a counteroffensive. I do not know why the ruler of Zoldor keeps pushing its might against my kingdom, but I intend to stop whoever it is."

"King Aquorron believes his kingdom is safe from aggression, but he has considered lending the elves his support" chimed Winter.

Trent spoke up"So you're going to side with Viola?"

The elf king glanced at the blond swordsman"If it is in my people's best interest. I have my hands full trying to gain the respect and cooperation of the kingdom of Aqoria, but I can spare warriors to assist you."

"Thank you, your highness" bowed Kenneth.

Just then, a elvin sentinel rushed in"Sire! The town is under attack. Undead have materialized and are harassing our citizens!"

"U-undead? Are you sure?" squeaked Umiko.

Chris scowled"Zarloc... The monster stops at nothing. I'm going to kick his behind once and for all if it is."

"Zarloc? The Necromancer? I hear he's a heartless mage" said King Lorian with a raised eyebrow.

"Sire, may we be permitted to help defend Greenwood?" asked Arianna.

King Lorian nodded"Very well, I shall marshal my royal guard and join you all shortly. Commander Marisa, unleash an immediate counterattack and help protect the town."

"At once, my king" nodded Marisa, leading her squad out of the throne room in a hurry.

Barry shrugged"The Necromancer again? That Zarloc's a stinker."

Trent and the others began running out of the castle to join Marisa's squadron. Winter addressed the elf king"May Umiko and I lend ourselves to the cause?"

"I cannot stop you, go ahead" replied King Lorian.

* * *

Trent, Marisa and their groups ran outside to the town to find the buildings on fire. Zombies ran amok. Chris readied his blade and charged at the undead horde. The others hurried after him.

"Demon Fang!" Trent struck down a zombie.

Chris slashed his way into a cluster of zombies and began cutting them down. Ghosts charged at Chris, only to be intercepted by Malin and Arianna.

"Lightning!" Chris struck down a monster before attacking another one. Trent, Arianna, Aster, Shin, Althea and Lloyd joined him in fighting off the bulk of the undead.

* * *

On top of a a nearby building, the Necromancer Zarloc smirked'_Exactly as I planned. These fools will be too worn down and distracted, and I have easy pickings._'

Savannah spotted someone on top of the building and fired an arrow. The man on top of the roof jumped down with an inhuman skill and shot a lightning spell. Savannah squeaked in surprise as she fell.

"Savananh!" Barry hurried over and let loose a volley of magic daggers at Zarloc. The Necromancer darted forward and punched the Ursun in the chest. The force of the impact knocked Barry out cold.

"Why you!" Savannah drew her dagger and charged forward to stab Zarloc in the back. But the necromancer back flipped over her and smacked the master thief in the back. Savannah fell to the ground.

"Ugh. Not bad, but I don't go down that easy" snarled the Half-Elf, getting up and throwing a punch at Zarloc. The cunning Necromancer cast a fireball, blasting her backwards.

"Savannah! Barry! I'm coming!" Chris had seen the uneven duel between Zarloc and Savannah and hurried to the aid of the master thief after cutting down his targets. But several more zombies appeared and blocked his way. The irritated adventurer began hacking his way through.

'So, you cherish these two. I shall raise the stakes, and set the final stage for your final doom. You'll be with your beloved Aella, soon enough' thought the Necromancer, turning one last time and casting Nightmare on the Ursun and the Master thief.

* * *

Umiko and Winter rushed outside to find the group fighting off the undead horde attacking the city. Trent glanced behind him as he was fighting off two zombies to see the two newcomers rush down to his aid.

"How about some girl power?" Umiko jabbed one zombie in the chest with a trident.

Winter stood back and empowered Trent and Umiko's weapons"Frost Bite!"

Marisa and her elf squadron charged at another cluster of zombies and struggled as they fought off the undead group. Lloyd, Colette, Althea and Shin hurried over to help them.

"Chris!" Trent, Arianna, Umiko, Winder, Malin, Kenneth, Aster and Rise hurried over to help their comrade as he brutally fought off the zombies that were blocking his path after fighting off their targets.

"Full Moon Strike!"

"Divine Saber!"

Malin and Arianna's artes helped down three zombies. Aster hacked at another while Rise and Stella kept their teammates healthy with retroactive spells.

Marisa effortlessly cut down three zombies and winced as she saw three of her squad members being killed. Annoyed, she slew three more zombies before hurrying over to help Chris' group.

"You think you can overcome the might of the undead army?" A wraith appeared, sword in hand.

"You bet. Fireball!" Chris fired his spell at the wraith, which dodged and jabbed at the brunette dualblade user.

Umiko turned to face the wraith"Volcanic Burst!"

The wraith screamed in agony as the spell took it down.

Once he saw his chance, Chris rushed over to the building he saw Zarloc fighting Barry and Savannah. But a lone skeletal warrior stood there, sword poised"You are too late, Putnam."

"Wha-?" Chris stopped"What you do you mean?"

The skeletal warrior sneered"My master has taken two of your pathetic friends. What'cha gonna do now?"

Chris slashed at his opponent, cutting him down and casting fireball at the monster's skull. Trent hurried over"Chris, what was that about?"

The brunette shrugged"I have a bad feeling this is just a warm-up. Zarloc has been getting more aggressive these days, and I thought I'd escaped that guy for good."

"Look" Malin rushed to the scene and spotted a note.

Chris looked in Malin's direction to see a note stuck to the wall and grabbed it.

"What does it say?" asked Arianna.

Chris was silent, but read the note:

'_You failed again, Putnam. You've failed your country, your wife, and now you are surely failing your friends. Come to the place this 'nightmare' of yours began. I'll be waiting with the Ursun and the girl as my prisoners. Sven Kells, is it? Surely she could've picked a more plausible allias._

_Again, I'll be waiting. Mwa, ha, ha, ha, ha._

_-Zarloc_'

"I suspect a trap" said Malin, his face pale as Chris told them the note's contents.

Marisa, who had just finished helping to defeat the undead attacking the town, rushed over"What's going on?"

"It seems you did not need my help" King Lorian walked over, backed by several high elves.

Chris bitterly spoke"That necro-freak kidnapped Savannah and Barry."

"Necromancers are deadly foes, this one was unknown to be. I'd have thought Necromancy was long outlawed" said Lorian, grimly.

Trent gripped his sword"So what now? Should we save Savannah and Barry?"

Chris sighed"That will be difficult. But I have no choice, I have to settle the score with Zarloc once and for all. If Savannah and Barry are only being used as bait to ensnare me, there's a chance he won't do anything drastic to those two. Still, I shan't be taking risks with that guy."

"So what's your destination?" asked Arianna.

"The ruins of Garnet. It is where Zarloc has undoubtedly set up headquarters. Undead roam that place now, since the Necromancer still lives" replied Chris.

King Lorian addressed him"You're going to reclaim your homeland, then?"

Chris shrugged"I've got to get Savannah and Barry out of there, either way."

"Sven Kells is a slippery thief, I think she'll escape on her own. I don't know about Barry" spoke Malin.

Chris began walking south"I will go to Garnet's ruins. I don't care what happens to me, now. Even if Savannah does manage to escape, she'll need help evading the Necromancer."

King Lorian spoke"The ruins of Garnet will likely have an undead army stationed there, I have heard of the tragedy of that kingdom from Commander Marisa when I sent her there with elven warriors to back it up. But by then, it was too late to save anyone. Save for young Christopher Putnam. There was no trace of Aella, anywhere."

"Much to my dishonor" nodded Marisa, sadly.

Trent addressed Chris"Well, let me come with you."

"I shall also go" said Arianna.

Kenneth shrugged"My only mission was to request an alliance between Viola and Verde, but I might as well help lead the assault on the Necromancer. Zarloc could pose a serious threat to Viola unless he is slain."

Malin's eyes widened"Are you sure? If you die, my prince, Viola's bloodline will end. And that will leave a power vacuum in Viola that no one can fill."

"It is for everyone's sake. The Necromancer WILL die be brought to justice, Viola will see this done so that we need not fear anymore undead attacks" said Kenneth.

Lorian nodded"Then I wish you the best. Commander Marisa, you and your squad should go with them."

"I shall, my king" nodded Marisa.

* * *

Finally, I got this chapter ready. This one is quite a cliffhanger. As for Aella. Chris, King Lorian and Zarloc think she's dead, and that I will explain next chapter. Kazane, if you're still reading this, I hope Umiko and Winter weren't too OOC. I tried my best with them.

Please feel free to review.


	14. The Ruins of Garnet-King Chris?

**Serenia: Hey.**

**Mike: (thinking)**

**Chris: Must be lost in thought.**

**Tyler: Hey, Serenia. How are things?**

**Serenia: Great. Just doing a little training. You know, Chris just seems to have a different job in every forum he's featured in. Interesting OC, cite that he's a self-insert whatever that means. Not that we're spamming, mind you. And Tyler, how's that homework coming along?**

**Tyler: Kinda easy, not too difficult.**

**Serenia: That's great, because I kind of gave you a math book for the answers to some of the tests you might be struggling with. Actually, I snuck that out of Chris's-**

**Chris: (Sweat drop): W-what did you do?**

**Tyler: Okay, I think I gotta get to a nearby bathroom. Oh, and the author doesn't own the rights and privileges to the Tales of series, characters, and locations. Namco Bandai has those rights. The Graces and Symphonia characters aren't Mike's, either. (scurries off to the nearest restroom.)**

**Chris: ... Okay, that was OOC. Hey, if anyone's wondering about Marisa, she's only a minor character.**

**Serenia: Most of the featured OCs aren't Mike's, either. Example: Fishy owns Chris, Aella and Barry. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. And feel free to ignore some of the nonsense above.**

**Trent: Not to quote Chris, but aren't you guys thinking of something else? Yo! Author!**

**Mike: Huh? Oh, sorry. There will be some more jumping between characters.**

* * *

Chapter XIII: The Ruins of Garnet-King Chris?

"I will send a message to Viola to inform your ruler of the situation and that I will lend Viola my support" spoke King Lorian.

"But King Irwin is dead. Queen Sasha is currently the reigning monarch of Viola until Prince Kenneth can assume the throne" spoke Malin.

King Lorian acknowledged the blue-haired nobleman"I am aware of that, as Christopher already told me. Remember your place, even if you are not from Verde."

Malin shrugged"I suppose I should. And about Garnet, its the haunted ruins to the southwest of Viola, correct?"

Chris nodded"And that is where Barry and Savannah are most likely being held. Let's go."

"May Umiko and I come along? Whoever that jerk of a necromancer needs to be taught a lesson" inquired Winter.

"No problems, here. The more the merrier. Umiko, do you want to come?" grinned Chris.

Umiko nodded silently.

The group left Verde and proceeded south from the forest. Arianna studied a World Map she had with her, glancing at a particular section of the Tria Continent where they were currently at.

"Have you heard of Garnet, Arianna?" asked Trent.

Arianna shrugged, putting the map back in her rucksack"It's a ruin to the south of Verde, that much I am aware of. They say there were no survivors when the kingdom of Garnet fell. Details about the fall of Garnet are rather vague."

Chris silently led the way, paying little attention to what the group was currently discussing. Trent and the others took note of their friend's silence, but said nothing, figuring their companion was lost in thought.

The march through Verde towards Garnet was long, the group saying little as the possible fate of Savannah and Barry wore heavily on their minds. Marisa, who was now accompanying the group along with her squad, addressed Arianna"You seem familiar with Garnet."

"I don't know as much about it as Chris, and I don't think he wants to talk about it" responded the purple-haired dualblader.

* * *

Savannah and Barry woke to find themselves in a dimly-lit cell. The Ursun looked around nervously"Where are we? Savannah, are you okay?"

"Not the first time I was thrown in prison, and I'm not sure. Dunno what I was thinking, challenging Zarloc on my own. But then again, his undead group would've gotten me eventually" frowned the master thief.

Barry glanced around"So what now?"

"Nothing much, there's no guard outside the cell from what I could tell from the keyhole. I'd assume they've taken our equipment, Zarloc would be a fool not to" shrugged Savannah.

Barry sat down"We're probably in Garnet, come to think of it. We'll just have to assume Chris and the others will come for us, much as he'd hate to have to return to the place he lost his family. Except we're probably the bait, the Necromancer really has it in for him."

Savannah nodded"True, I suppose."

* * *

The journey to Garnet took the better part of the day, so the group set up camp for the night at the border between Verde and Garnet Kingdom. Trent addressed Kenneth"Do you have a plan, your highness?"

The Violan prince shook his head"Not exactly, my family wasn't even aware of the Necromancer's presence in Garnet Kingdom if that's where he's holding our kidnapped comrades. Viola doesn't usually keep in touch with foreign affairs outside our realm that involves destroyed nations. I've never fought the undead before."

"Then with all due respect, it would be wise for you and I to stay behind" said Malin.

"Zarloc might come for you two, it would be better to stay together" interjected Chris.

"Exactly, that is what we should do" nodded Marisa.

After they ate dinner, Marisa invited Chris, Kenneth and Malin to her tent for a strategy session. The elf commander spoke"The ruins will likely be guarded by undead forces. If we confront them head on, our odds of destroying the Necromancer will be extremely slim. Close to the point of death, that is."

"I know, but I can't abandon Savannah and Barry, either" acknowledged the male brunette.

"A sound strategy will be difficult to pull off if Zarloc has any kind of organized resistance in Garnet, either way" Kenneth pointed out.

Chris squared his shoulders"Well, anything's better than nothing."

Marisa pulled out her copy of a world map from her rucksack and laid it on the ground, inviting the other three to sit around it with her as they discussed what tactics to employ.

"Garnet's castle will likely be where Barry and Savannah are held captive. Several sections of the place may have been damaged in the siege, though" remarked Chris.

Kenneth thought for a while"A diversionary team could lure some of our foe's henchmen away from Garnet, while a small team goes in to rescue Savannah and Barry, then defeat the Necromancer."

"The Necromancer could well be expecting that, though" frowned Malin.

"It may be the only chance we've got. We've got to try" said Chris, determined.

Marisa nodded"I shall take charge of the diversionary force."

"Then I'll lead the other team. It may be suicidal, but what can you do?" nodded Chris.

"Chris is right, we've little choice. Malin and I will accompany the team heading to Garnet Castle" responded the Violan Prince.

Malin's face paled"Are you sure?"

Kenneth nodded"The decoy team's task is no less dangerous, we'll want to contribute to the battle with the Necromancer either way. Marisa, can your squad do your part alone? I'll be happy to ask some of the others to assist you if needed."

Marisa shook her head"You and Chris need all the help you can get. Whatever size force the Necromancer decides to throw at us will face some of the finest warriors that Verde has ever seen. This would not be the last big battle I've fought. My squad is highly skilled at magic, the Undead should be no match for me."

* * *

The first ray of dawn passed by for a bit when morning came. At the highest tower of the mostly-intact castle, Zarloc watched as what looked like several elven warriors approached the capital's remains.

"Lord Zarloc, elves are approaching from the east. However, more warriors are approaching from the south. We're surrounded" said a Wraith.

The Necromancer smiled sinisterly"They've fallen into my trap. Go ahead and release the girl and the ursun. After all, why keep the bait when you've landed the fish? We wait in the throne room, have the majority of our forces ready to ambush the group headed into the castle. Dispose of the elven warriors while you're at it."

The wraith nodded"Yes, my liege."

* * *

Marisa Dawne and her squad marched proudly to the east side of what looked like wrecked buildings and rubble. Lester, her second-in-command, squinted at the sight"The Nacromancer sure didn't show mercy when he destroyed the place."

"Indeed, now let us not advance too far in. We only need to distract the Necromancer's goons long enough for Chris and the others to get in" instructed the elf commander.

"Look!" pointed one of the elves. A dozen zombies led by a wraith advanced onto their location.

Marisa drew her blade, addressing her squad for a moment"Remember men, fear is a four-letter word. If you want to wet your pants, keep it to y6ourselves. Let us show these undead monsters what we, the best of the best in King Lorian's army, are capable of. Give it all you've got."

The other sentinels nodded as they waited for the undead monsters headed towards them to get closer. As soon as they were close enough, Marisa cast a Fireball at the Wraith. The elven warriors charged with their weapons at the zombies.

* * *

Chris and the others had long since eaten breakfast and entered the ruined castle town a few more miles ahead. Upon arrival, Arianna caught sight of the skirmish taking place northeast of their current position.

"Looks like Marisa has them distracted, I hope she'll be okay" remarked Chris, leading the way inside.

The main group followed Chris through the ruined town towards a medium-sized castle at its end. There were scorch marks and collapsed sections of the walls in some parts of the castle's exterior.

"What exactly happened here?" whispered Malin.

"Some sort of battle, doubtless" muttered Arianna as they entered.

Chris led the group into the castle interior, most of which was still intact. Trent and the others followed, wondering all of a sudden how Chris knew the area so well. Arianna glanced around"You seem like you've been here before, Chris."

Malin kept silent as he glanced around the 'deserted' castle, though the scholar could not help but wonder the same thing. Kenneth looked around the great hall in astonishment.

"Again, it's a shame Professor Sage isn't with us, Lloyd. We'll have to let her know about the ruins we've seen in this world" whispered Colette.

The red-clad swordsman shrugged"No kidding."

Shin caught side of a flight of stairs leading upwards"What to you reckon's up there?"

"Should we find out?" squeaked Althea.

The Fel-Rae rushed ahead, followed by the brunette martial artist. Spying them going on ahead, Trent quickly followed them.

"Are Savannah and Barry held there?" asked Arianna.

"Not likely, but we should follow the others anyway" shrugged Chris.

* * *

Shin and Althea rushed up the flight of stairs into a lonely room on the top of a tower. Inside was a large bed with a nightstand next to it. A bookcase lay at the side of the wall.

"Huh, nothing seems to be here" mussed Althea.

"Hold on" Shin walked to the nightstand, seeing what looked like a picture of a young woman in regal attire with orange-brownish chestnut hair standing next to her husband which looked vaguely like one of their companions who is sitting on a marble throne.

"Shin, what is it?" Althea walked closer to inspect the picture.

Shin glanced at the couple in the photo. Althea looked over her shoulder, gasping in surprise at the brunette man in the picture"That looks like... Chris?"

"You think?" Trent had caught up first.

Chris and the others caught up shortly after. The brunette dualblade wielder said"Find anything?"

Althea nodded"A picture of some guy that looks like you and a young woman with chestnut hair."

"What?" Chris walked over to the picture, glancing for a moment before turning away, a flash of pain evident in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" asked Althea.

Chris took a deep breath"It's quite a story, this brings back memories for me. Memories of my past, memories of her, and memories... of this kingdom, itself."

"What happened?" asked Arianna.

Chris hesitated, then said"Garnet was indeed a prosperous nation once, it was four years ago to be exact. I cannot hide who I once was, not anymore now you've seen the picture. My full name is Christopher James Putnam Garnet, Putnam is actually my second middle name."

Malin's eyes widened"Garnet, you say? So you are...?"

Chris nodded"Yes, I am formerly of House Garnet. The Fortieth king of Garnet Kingdom, as a matter of fact. My family has ruled Garnet for many, many generations. But that all changed that night, the night of the storm."

"You mean when Garnet collapsed? And you are truly of royal blood?" asked Malin.

"Yes, and I am king, no more. That was before the realm's destruction at the bloodthirsty hands of Zarloc the Necromancer. He appeared in my kingdom one evening, no one thought anything of it at first. Myself included. But a series of murders followed his appearance, no one could find the killer for the next few days. By the time a soldier from my castle found him, Zarloc had killed enough people to form an army of undead monsters" responded Chris with a grimace.

"That sounds... Horrible" whimpered Umiko.

Chris nodded"Yes, and that wasn't the worst of it. Zombies and wraiths, led by the Necromancer, laid siege to the kingdom. Buildings were destroyed and people were slaughtered by that monster's horde. No one from town was left, even when I sent soldiers to protect the citizens. We had no time to ask Verde's King Lorian or Viola's King Irwin for aid, so we put up a fight on our own and made a final stand just outside the castle."

"Did you win?" asked Lloyd.

"If I had, SHE would still be alive. A wraith almost killed me with his blade when my wife, who was a couple months pregnant, shielded me and took the blow herself. I got out of there, knowing that Zarloc had won. She had sacrificed herself for me, and I knew after finishing off my would've been killer that I couldn't defeat the Necromancer" finished Chris with a frown.

"How barbaric" paled Malin.

"So you're Garnet's last survivor. Where did Marisa come in?" asked Trent.

Chris replied"She and I met at Verde's border. I convinced her and King Lorian at Greenwood to let me take refuge for a year, then I traveled the world ever since. How I had wanted to avenge my people, but I couldn't. King Lorian cautioned me about fighting for vengeance, even I knew it wouldn't be right. Though he was a bit upset with me for letting his daughter die."

"But that wasn't your fault" protested Colette.

"Knowing this doesn't ease my regret all that much. Now, let's go find Savannah and Barry" said Chris.

The group headed downstairs.

* * *

Marisa and her squad cut the majority of the zombies down, though they were slowly wearing down themselves. Marisa stood face-to-face against the wraith as the monster raised its sword"You fight well, but I'd expected more potency from you."

"Sonic Thrust!" An arte caught the monster by surprise and cut it down where it floated.

Marisa looked around"Who's there?"

"That would be me" a hooded figure with a blue breastplate, gauntlets and leggings for armor showed up. Accompanying her was a small brunette boy with green eyes, a young woman with red hair and blue garments, and a seventeen-year-old brunette with blue eyes.

Lester gaped at the hooded woman, seeing the crest on her armor"It can't be. Who are you?"

The hooded woman said nothing and headed for the castle. Lester addressed the red-haired newcomer"What's her deal?"

"You'll find out. My group is here on personal business" said the brunette seventeen-year-old.

Marisa hesitated"What?" and followed the new group. The rest of her squadron followed.

* * *

Chris led his group back downstairs. Just then, Savannah and Barry met up with them as they came up a flight of stairs from the southwest corner of the main hall.

"Savannah. Barry" Trent smiled.

The Ursun shrugged"Savannah and I were locked up in a cell, but then they let us go a minute ago. Sounds fishy to me, the Necromancer must be up to something."

"Definitely a trap. Well, let's go check out the throne room. I can only assume that's where Zarloc is, since he took the place over" said Chris.

The group went down the northernmost corridor through a set of double doors at its end. The doors led to the throne room, one of the few intact areas of the ruins. Looking around as they entered, Trent addressed Chris"Sure he's here?"

"Doesn't look like it. But then again, I smell a rat" remarked Savannah.

A voice chuckled"Exactly as I predicted."

Chris summoned his dualblade"Zarloc?"

"This place brings you back painful memories, no? Well now, you can join her" sneered the Necromancer.

Even as the sorcerer spoke, a horde of zombies and wraiths emerged from the shadows. Chris tightened the grip on his dualblade"Is that all you've got?"

"Even if you defeat them, I can keep calling them back" snarled the necromancer.

Umiko gripped her trident tightly. Trent, Aster, Lloyd, Shin and Kenneth drew their blades.

As the undead horde surrounded the group from all sides, Zarloc emerged from the shadows"As soon as I am done with you, Viola is next. It's a pity you will not be around to see what fate has in store for it."

"Think again" Shin raised his sword and cast a spell"Mystic Blades, fall. Sword Rain!"

The spell cut down several zombies. Three wraiths accosted Althea and Colette, who fought back fiercely. Aster and Shin hurried to their comrades' aid, while Chris cut down two zombies and charged at Zarloc.

"Frost Bite!" Winter empowered her companions' weapons with magic.

"Sonic Thrust!" Chris shot forward. Zarloc dodged and blasted his opponent with a ball of fire.

Savannah readied her bow, which she had retrieved from a treasure chest outside her cell when she and Barry had cut down a wraith that let her go but underestimated the pair. The master thief shot at Zarloc"Fire Arrow!"

Zarloc dodged and swung a massive scythe at Savannah. The thief dodged while Chris darted forward and slashed Zarloc in the back. The Necromancer flipped over and cast a stronger spell"Fire and Light, burn down my foes. Aquarius Sphere!"

"Chris!" Trent gasped.

Zarloc smirked evily as Savannah and Chris staggered from the mystic arte. Shin darted forward and slammed the Necromancer into a nearby wall with a mighty jump kick. The Necromancer was stunned by the impact for a moment and took a moment to recover. Spotting the bracelet on Shin's wrist, he gasped"Fel-Rae Tribe? I-impossible."

"Sucks for you" smirked Shin, getting into another battle stance. The necromancer lunged at Shin with his scythe, but not before casting a spell to rejuvenate the fallen undead in the area. Shin blocked and kicked Zarloc backward.

"This guy doesn't play fair" remarked Trent as he dueled a Wraith.

Umiko blocked with her trident as a wraith attacked her. The blue-haired woman jumped backward, pointed her trident at the wraith and uttered a spell"Volcanic Burst!"

While Umiko fried the wraith with her spell, Aster and Lloyd cut down three more zombies. Not more than another minute into the battle, more people entered the throne room via the double doors: Marisa, a hooded woman with blue armor, the rest of Marisa's squad and a brunette teen.

Stopping to see the blue-armored woman, Chris was astonished'could that be? No, she'd make it more... I dunno, dynamic.'

Zarloc's eyes widened as he saw the blue-armored figure"Impossible... You're still alive?"

"Did you really think I was finished when your goon cut me while trying to kill my husband?" smirked the hooded woman, brandishing a rapier.

The tide of the battle changed as the united group blasted and cut down the undead horde in the room. Trent faced Zarloc"Now it's your turn to bite the dust!"

The Necromancer furiously unleashed another Aquarius Sphere. Rise, Stella and Colette kept the group on their feet as best they could while Chris charged at Zarloc and swung his dualblade down. Zarloc blocked and cast lightning. Chris staggered back before separating his duablade into twin blades and dodged as Zarloc swung his scythe at him.

"Volcanic Burst!" Umiko caught the Necromancer off guard with a fiery spell. Zarloc got up and blasted Umiko with Lightning.

"Big mistake" hissed Winter, preparing a spell"Oh Scion of Water, flush away my enemy with your watery might: Tidal Wave!"

Zarloc was thrown back by a burst of water magic. The Necromancer got up and charged up another Aquarius Sphere mystic arte, when Chris darted over and attacked his enemy with a series of sword slashes"Not this time, time for a taste of your own medicine!" Upon slashing Zarloc a dozen times with his weapon, he changed the blades into twin pistols and fired"Expiation!"

The Necromancer staggered from the blow"I will not be finished that easily." With that, Zarloc threw a lightning spell at Chris and threw a triple fireball spell at Umiko and Winter.

The hooded woman darted forward, striking with her rapier in a series of thrusts"Rapier Rush!"

Zarloc was thrown backwards, the Necromancer furiously summoned his scythe and swung at the hooded warrior. Trent charged forward, slashing Zarloc with a series of strikes and an upward thrust"This is my best shot, you're going down. Stampede Strike!"

Colette cast a spell"Angel Feather!"

the Necromancer staggered from the pressure of the heroes' artes and was thrown backwards"I underestimated you..." standing up from where he hit the floor, despite his injuries, Zarloc smirked"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me." With that, he prepped up for a final Aquarius Sphere.

"Accept it, you lost" Arianna changed her dualblade into a bow and charged up a magical arrow"Spirits of Light and Wind, pierce the wretched soul of my enemy with your purist, brightest light. Tempest Arrow!"

The magic arrow pierced Zarloc's chest, throwing him down. The Necromancer was no more. Chris smiled, his nemesis dead at the group's feet"Its over, I'm over that nightmare."

The hooded woman walked over to Chris"We both are. Garnet's citizenry has been avenged." Heading over to the door, she signaled"You can come in, now."

The long-haired redheaded woman from earlier entered, following her was the small brunette child. The hooded woman smiled at Chris.

"What do you mean? Who are you?" asked Chris.

The woman lowered her hood and cast her cloak aside, revealing her long orange-chestnut hair. Addressing Chris, she replied"Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't figure it out until just now. Even after four long years spent apart, I still love you."

"Aella? It's really you" breathed Chris.

Aella nodded"I never forgot that night, when Zarloc attacked. He attempted to kill you and I took the blow in your stead, if I recall exactly. But the wraith's sword did not pierce my heart, it only gave me a flesh wound. I swallowed my pride and played dead like a orange-haired opossum. I gathered what little survivors there were and left Garnet, hiding out in Anorin, the capital of Anorab."

"I've never been to Anorab. But why couldn't you tell me you were alive?" asked Chris.

Aella shook her head"It would've been plain stupid to bring to Zarloc's attention that both the king and queen lived. Two of our retainers escaped with me, Tyler managed to heal me with Resurrect and Pixie Circle spells just before I would've lost my life from the wound Zarloc's wraith gave me. I could've struck back at the undead horde at any time during the past four years with an army from Anorab at my back, but Zoldor has already occupied its attention. Zoldor and Anorab have been at war for several years."

The little boy timidly walked over to Aella"Mommy. You okay?"

Aella smiled at the boy before addressing Chris"Miraculously, our child survived. He bears a scar which he got from my near-death. His name is Jared. I spent the last four years raising him and honing my skills so that I may one day return to Garnet and take back our country."

Chris stood there, astonished"I've never been to Anorin, come to think of it. I traveled through Verde and Viola, even the hidden Ursun Settlement to the northeast of Viola's castle town. So how is it you knew I was coming back here?"

"The border guards at Anorab's border saw your group's silhouette and rushed to alert King Xander. The King of Anorab could not spare any troops to help the Adventurers heading into Garnet's ruins and possibly ultimate doom. So I brought Serenia, Tyler and Jared with me. As reckless as it may have seemed to bring a child, I could not leave him alone with a stranger" replied Aella.

Chris walked over and embraced his wife"Its good to have you back, just the same. Does my heart good to know you're alive."

Aella hugged her husband back, breaking away to address Jared"Christopher is your father. Say hi."

The child's eyes widened as he looked at the brunette man"Daddy?"

Chris smiled, slightly surprised that he is a father"I regret missing your birth, but I had not known your mom was alive. You both deserved better than what you had to go through."

Marisa was shocked, but knelt before Aella"My lady, I never realized... Your body was never found after the tragedy that occurred, King Lorian will be pleased to know you're alive."

Aella nodded"Yes, and much remains to be done. Anorab and Zoldor are reaching a stalemate, King Xander needs the cooperation of Viola, Verde, and Garnet's remnants to defeat Zoldor."

"And they shall have it, for my companions and I are campaigning against Zoldor as well. We have formed an alliance between Viola and Verde" nodded Chris.

Kenneth stood silently for a moment"We should return to Viola, now. My mother will want to know the outcome of the mission."

Trent addressed Chris"So what should I call you now? Your highness?"

Chris laughed"Nah, there's no need for that. You can keep calling me Chris."

"Even still, you are the rightful King of Garnet. Perhaps if we could gain the trust and friendship of other kingdoms, they could provide you with the resources to rebuild Garnet. Of course, that would mean getting people to immigrate to this kingdom, but it could be done" supplied Marisa.

"Revitalizing a fallen kingdom would take much effort and maybe a couple generations, but I suppose it is possible. But if Zoldor still poses a threat, we'd best defeat the empire first" responded Aella.

"Agreed, war is not light on the coin. King Christopher, we're with you to the end" acknowledged Kenneth.

The large group proceeded to leave the throne room, Aella took Zarloc's body and began to move it to a isolated area away from Garnet's capital to bury him while the rest of the group waited for her.

* * *

Longest chapter yet, and I'm done. Next one should take place in Viola, and I'm thinking about maybe including the rest of the Tales of Symphonia party along with the Tales of Graces party.

Regarding OC pairings, I decided Chris/Aella will be final. I hope I didn't make her too OOC. Sorry if I wasn't clear on how Aella survived and why she didn't try to tackle the Necromancer by herself. And sorry if I messed up her personality completely, Fishy.

Savannah could go well with Malin, and Aster with Stella. It might be weird to do Kenneth/Winter, but that could be interesting. Shin/Althea and Trent/Arianna are two more possibilities for OC pairings. Well, I could do Kenneth/Alexa... I really need to think on it.

**Arianna: Reviews are greatly appreciated, if you'd like to review. The author requests you please do not needlessly flame any part of the story.**

**Shin: Hey, why did the hero flush the toilet?**

**Tremt: Why?**

**Shin: Because its his duty. Ha, get it?**

**Malin, Kenneth, Chris and Tyler: Not that kind of duty.**

It might have been unorthodox to do a fic like this on father's day, sorry about that.


	15. Prophecy of Thetis

Here you go, this one is sort of a filler chapter.

Disclaimer: Tales of Graces, Tales of Symphonia and their respective characters, locations, etc. are Namco Bandai's work. Some of the OCs here are not mine, either.

* * *

Chapter XIV: Prophecy of Thetis

The group left Garnet towards Viola once Aella buried Zarloc's body in an unmarked tomb. Trent, Chris and Marisa led their large group to a stone fortress, which looked uninhabited.

"Why is there still a fortress here?" asked Malin.

Chris shrugged"This was the border fortress between Garnet and Viola. Garnet was destroyed, so it is unlikely to be inhabited because there is no reason to guard the ruins of a destroyed kingdom. Some of Viola's knights and a couple of Garnet's retainers were stationed here. But it has been abandoned for four years. My guess is that it was abandoned when it was apparent that no one from Garnet survived."

The trek through the fortress was smooth, for there was no one stationed within. Trent addressed Chris"Was Zarloc from Garnet, though?"

"Actually, no. Zarloc was one of the Zoldor Empire's best warriors according to rumors. But the Necromancer is now in his grave, which robs the empire of one of it's best" interjected Aella.

The group silently crossed through the border fortress, emerging through the other side. Marisa turned to address them"My squadron and I must report back to King Lorian to let him know the undead at Garnet have been exorcised and you have returned to Viola. Everyone, good luck on the way back."

"Same to you. And could you let my father know that I am alive and well? You need not mention he has a grandson, I do not know how well he'd take to that" instructed Aella.

"You need not ask, Lady Aella. Your message will be delivered" nodded Marisa, leading her squadron west back to Verde.

The rest of the group headed towards Questa. As they passed through the gates towards the north half of town, Kenneth addressed Winter and Umiko"I should have thought of that before, but don't you two need to return to your kingdom at some point?"

Winter shook her head"No, that would not be necessary. Besides, its fun to travel with you guys if that's okay. I'm also kind of curious as to what's been going on with the other nations. Verde is about the only kingdom Aquoria interacts with. King Aquorrin insists that no unnecessary chances be taken with outsiders."

"I don't have a problem with that, I was just curious" shrugged Kenneth.

* * *

"Bah, the Violan prince and his entourage are more formidable then I anticipated. What's more, remnants from Garnet have joined them" said the mystery woman, watching through her crystal-like artifact.

"That necromancer wasn't worth a Gald if his undead have been defeated by mere mortals, may I suggest something more subtle?" asked the mystery man.

The mystery woman replied"No need, we shall watch them for now. It would be interesting to see what they come up with, next."

* * *

The better part of the afternoon and the following morning was spent returning to Viola, the group had stopped to camp for the night beforehand. Chris and Kenneth led the way back towards the Violan Capital.

"So far, all is well" smiled Trent as they returned.

"You can say that again" remarked Arianna as the group entered the castle town.

They headed towards the castle. Jared, Umiko and Winter looked around in wonder.

"Amazing place, isn't it? Never gets old" smiled Chris.

"Agreed, its good to he home" breathed Malin.

The group entered the castle and went up to the second floor toward the throne room. To Malin and Kenneth's slight surprise, security had tightened since the battle against Raven and the Shadow Brigade.

Chris addressed Aella"By the way, we should've mentioned it earlier, but have you seen a man with a metal gauntlet by the name of Raven? Queen Sasha asked us to track down and deal with him."

"Raven El Taire? I've heard of the man. He is cunning, ruthless and a powerful warrior from what I've heard. No, I haven't seen or met him before" replied the chestnut-haired elf.

"Either way, we have to report to Queen Sasha" said Arianna.

The group entered the throne room to see Lieutenant Alexa and a Scholar conversing with Queen Sasha. Captain Alexander stood next to her as the scholar reported her findings.

"Mother, pardon the interruption, but we've returned" Kenneth spoke up.

Sasha raised a hand to silence the scholar before addressing her son and the others"Welcome back, I trust that everything went well in Garnet's ruins? King Lorian sent me a messenger the other day, explaining what had happened. I assume the Necromancer has been dealt with?"

Trent nodded"Yes, but we didn't find any trace of Raven. The elf king mentioned that you will have his support. Oh, and about Savannah, she was actually the daughter of a noble family from Appia."

"Yeah, surprisingly. And this may come as a shock, but Chris is King Christopher Garnet of Garnet Kingdom. Or what's left of it" reported Kenneth.

Marquis Indoctus, who stood at Sasha's side, was surprised"What? Is that so?"

Chris shrugged"Ah, well. Technically, I was... But not anymore now that Garnet is in ruins. My wife and child survived, but very few others got away from the Necromancer's ruthless assault from four years ago."

Sasha was silent for a moment"I have to admit that is very surprising to hear. Garnet Kingdom was reported to have been completely destroyed, it is a dead kingdom. And you need not fret over having not found Raven."

Aella spoke"I am the queen of Garnet. The child with us is Prince Jared. Serenia and Tyler are the last Retainers to Garnet. I desire to gain the cooperation and resources of other nations to rebuild Garnet, even if it means getting people to migrate."

The Violan Queen nodded"It could be done, but I am sure you heard that Zoldor has gotten aggressive, lately."

Marquis Indoctus addressed the group"So you say that brunette young man is King Christopher Garnet... I find that hard to believe."

"We have a picture" Althea showed them the picture of Chris and Aella.

"Hm. I see" mussed the blue-haired man.

Alexander, who had been listening for the most part, spoke"Garnet Kingdom was still around four years ago, and I was told that it was completely obliterated. Yet a few survivors live, which may bring new hope to Garnet Kingdom... My own father lived there until he wed my mother, who was from this country. My father was a Nobleman. Anything else you need to share with us?"

"Nothing, really" replied Trent.

Kenneth addressed his mother"What was going on when we first came in?"

The Violan queen replied"Professor Alicia managed to decipher the murals you saw at Muah Temple. What was uncovered is a lost prophecy which speaks of a Ferines by the name of Thetis."

Stella's eyes widened, where had she heard the name?

Aster glanced worriedly at Stella. Rise just kept silent as she listened to the conversation.

"Prophecy of Thetis... What is that about?" inquired Malin.

The scholar spoke"According to the murals which my fellow scholars and I translated, Ferines are an ancient race, as old as the elves and lived before the Fel-Rae came about. A young Ferines was said to have been locked in crystal stasis over six-hundred years ago. She was the daughter of Oracle Ashtaire, elder of the Ferines who lived in that time. The prophecy of Thetis states that the Oracle Thetis shall awaken with divine power and purge the eastern kingdom of the dark powers of the demon, Zarthantos."

Stella clutched her head as she felt a burning sensation. Aster hurried over to her side and caught Stella before she fell backwards.

"Stella, are you okay?" squeaked Rise.

Stella took a deep breath"I'm fine, but I don't know what came over me... Those names were strangely familiar in my mind... But I couldn't recall why."

"Are you Thetis by any chance?" asked Malin.

Stella breathed"Uh... Sorry, I don't remember."

"Regardless, now we know what the murals at the temple said" remarked Alexander.

Trent shrugged"So what now? The elves agreed to lend their support. We also heard of a hidden kingdom by the name of Aquoria."

"You don't say... Hm. Either way, we now must discuss your next mission. Bringing Raven to justice is a priority, but there are other matters to attend to, still" said Sasha.

Aella addressed the older queen (by human standards)"Of what other matters do you speak? Now's the time to join Anorab in their struggle against the empire's military might, no? I know not of any other hidden countries that will help us."

"Hm. Hey, my people could help. I am the son of the Ursun Chieftain from the forest settlement to the northeast, or rather I was" spoke the tiny Ursun.

Chris, who'd been paying attention, smiled"Heh, I suspected as much. I'm familiar with Elder Garthmond of the Ursun tribe, I met him before once on my travels. That was about a year before I met Barry."

Barry's eyes widened"You knew?"

Chris smiled"No one said anything, I just had a feeling. You look a lot like your old man. You were to be an elder, correct?"

Barry nodded"Yeah, until someone tried to kill me. I ran for it, not even knowing who my attacker was. I never went back ever since."

"So you were almost a victim of assassination, then?" asked Kenneth.

Barry shrugged"Yeah. But if we are to ask them to help us fight Zoldor, I'd be happy to help convince them. If you'll allow it, Queen Sasha, I will go ask my people If they'll help us."

"Very well. But the assassin might still be there if he has not already been dealt with. Does anyone wish to accompany him?" asked Queen Sasha.

Chris smiled"I'm going."

"Count me in" nodded Savannah.

Trent addressed Chris"I'm coming as well."

"I think I'll go with you guys, too" said Althea.

Shin piped up"All the more adventure for me, I'm with you, too."

Queen Sasha nodded"I wish you luck gaining the friendship of the Ursun Tribe. The rest of you may remain in Viola and are free to do as they please while you're out. I will send a Messenger to King Xander to let him know and ask if he'll allow aid from Viola, Verde and Garnet."

Chris nodded and addressed Aella"Look after Jared, okay?"

"Wait, I... I'd like to go with daddy" interjected the four-year old.

Chris sighed as he thought this through"All right, but you'll have to stay close to me. Aella, is that okay?"

Aella nodded and said"Very well, but if anything happens to him, you're toast."

Chris chuckled"I'll keep that in mind" and left with his group. Jared followed.

* * *

How's that for a short filler chapter? Next one covers the Ursun Settlement. As for that 'Kulgar' guy, you'll have to wait until next chapter to find out about him. He'll only have a minor role, though. Beyond that, I will think on whether the party should go to Ephinea and Silvarant before going to Zoldor. Raven should show up before either event. I won't say anything more than that about it.

**Shin: Things are starting to heat up, huh?**

**Althea: I guess.**

**Lata: (pops in) Hello. I am Lata, another OC on loan from Kazane. I will show up in Ephinea with Asbel and the gang in a few chapters. I encourage everyone to review if they please. Unnecessary flames will not be tolerated. (pops out)**


	16. Trouble at the Forest Settlement

**Trent: We've come quite a long way.**

**Serenia: Maybe its just me, but Tyler and I are older here than we are in Kingdom Hearts Dissidia Duos: Dawn to Twilight.**

**Arianna: Chris's age differs in the forums and fics he's in, too.**

**Trent: Not that we're making fun or anything, but... Wait a sec, how old are you and Chris, again?**

**Chris:... Nice, Trent.**

**Tyler: Surprisingly rude.**

**Arianna: Try to compose yourself better.**

**Trent: Ah, sorry. Anyway, Tales of Symphonia, Graces and their respective characters, locations, etc. are Namco Bandai's products. Some of the OCs involved aren't Mike's, either. Don't sue.**

**Barry: Hey, Author. There was no mention of 'Kulgar' outside the post-chapter author note last chapter. _Liar, liar, pants on fire_.**

**Mike: ... My bad.**

* * *

Chapter XV: Trouble at the Forest Settlement

Trent, Chris, Barry, Savannah, Shin, Althea and Jared headed to the castle town's east gate. Barry took point from there, heading northeast to the meadow. Trent addressed the small Ursun"So what's the settlement like?"

"Kind of quiet, my people don't venture out of the village very often" shrugged Barry.

Jared walked beside his father, Chris in silence. The small brunette stopped walking for a moment. Shin took notice and turned around to address Chris's son"What's up?"

"Just... needed to catch my breath" breathed Jared.

"Why don't you have someone carry you?" Althea asked the child.

"I'm okay" replied Jared, continuing despite himself.

Shin chuckled"I don't think you have much choice" and went over to pick up the small brunette, holding him on his shoulders.

"Whoa!" the surprised brunette said as the nineteen-year-old Fel-Rae gave him an unexpected ride on his shoulders.

Althea giggled"You're amazingly good with kids, Shin."

"You think?" flushed the purple-haired man.

Chris contained a smirk"Heh, kids."

The group headed north of the meadow to a small, dense forest. Trent looked around to see that it was smaller than the forest which led to the Elvin Capital"So Barry's hometown is somewhere in here?"

"Yes" replied Chris, taking point with the small Ursun.

A small clearing ahead contained a wooden gate which led to an even larger clearing. Barry stopped"My home is up ahead. There is a sign not too far to the left that warns people to stay away from the clearing ahead. Heh, that was actually placed by my people's ancestors when the settlement was first founded."

Trent inspected the sign"Now that you mention it, you said Ursun are similar to some monsters, right?"

"Yep, and since most can't tell the difference, we used that to our advantage to defend the village from outsiders" said Barry.

"But what was the assassination attempt on your life about? Was it someone outside your tribe?" asked Trent.

"Dunno, I was really busy fleeing for my life" shrugged the Ursun.

The group passed through the gate and walked a short way to a larger clearing, several large wooden houses were built and scattered throughout the area. Althea, Shin and Jared looked around in wonder.

As they walked further in, Barry pointed to the biggest house at the northern end of the small settlement"My place is over there."

The group entered the northernmost house, the inside of which was large and had a very high celling. Trent looked around"This settlement is just a simple village, yet it looks impressive."

Chris nodded"I imagine so."

A soft thump could be heard as a brown-furred Ursun five times the size of Barry entered from another room with brown eyes. Yet the Ursun was very similar to Barry in every way.

"Elder Garthmond?" Chris addressed the large Ursun.

The large Ursun looked down at Chris and spoke in a deep voice"I suppose its good to see you again, Chris. It's been a year or so, and I see even more humans in your company. What brings you all here? Outsiders don't usually come so far in."

Trent addressed the large Ursun, hardly intimidated by its size"You're the leader of this village? My name is Trent, sir. The other people in our group are Althea, Shin, Savannah, Jared and Barry."

"Barry? My son is with you? And yes, I am the elder of the Forest Settlement. My name is Garthmond" replied the large Ursun.

Trent was astonished"You're his father?"

Garthmond nodded"Yes. He was to succeed me as Elder of the tribe. Until the scoundrels Erich and Kulgar overthrew me and drove Barry out of the village. My people were captured by a group of Dark Elves and the traitor, Kulgar in the dead of night. I myself am powerless, the Dark Elf Erich is a strong magic user. My people are ill-equipped to face him. I hid, as I could not save my people on my own."

"Who's Kulgar?" asked Savannah.

Barry grimaced"My older brother, he's always been a bit jealous. My father didn't see the potential to succeed him, so my brother was banished. He was always about strength rather than wisdom."

Savannah's eyes widened"What would a group of Dark Elves be doing here?"

Chris shrugged"The devil if I knew. According to what I heard from Aella, the Dark Elves are very aggressive and daring. Always scheming and plotting to expand their influence. But how could they have gotten so close to this settlement without drawing attention from Viola?"

Trent shrugged.

"I smell a rat, Zoldor is probably involved" frowned Shin.

Barry frowned"Come to think of it, I didn't see anyone else on our way to my father's hut. Grrr. Kulgar... You've gone too far this time."

"Erich must be the assassin, at least that's what we can assume. Elder Garthmond, will you allow us to help you save your people?" asked Chris.

The elder was surprised"I'd be grateful, but this isn't your battle. However, it would be beneficial to my tribe to allow outsiders to help when events beyond our control occur in this settlement."

Trent smiled"Elder Garthmond, you rock! So where is that Erich guy?"

The elder chuckled"I like your gumption, young man. I heard there's a fortress being built north of here. I fear the culprits may be planning not only to take my village, but Viola as well. Make the rogues pay, and save my people. Barry, you may accompany them. Return alive with your friends and I shall deem you worthy of being a future elder, once more."

Barry smiled"Thanks, pa. I won't let you down this time."

Garthmond nodded"I see courage shimmering in your eyes, Barry. I can tell you've learned much in your absence away from our settlement. It would benefit our people to have a leader with knowledge of the outside world."

Trent and his group left the hut and headed for the north gate. Shin addressed the others"You know, I've heard of this 'Erich' guy before my bracelet was taken. He's just all bark and very little bite. He wouldn't stand a chance against Viola's elite. Still, best not to take any chances, eh?"

"Chris, I just realized. Is it okay to drag your son into it?" asked Althea, referring to Jared.

Chris smiled"Its no trouble. I can protect him and fight at the same time."

The next clearing ahead led to a medium-sized fortress. Shin shrugged at the sight"It was well hidden, but I have a hunch that its a secret Zoldor base. Looks like they used wood from some of the trees in this forest to build this fortress."

"How do you know?" asked Althea.

"Just a hunch" replied Shin, putting Jared down and readying his sword as he strode towards the fortress. The others followed closely.

"Doesn't make any sense, though. Why would they build a base so deep in Viola Kingdom?" asked Trent.

"Guess they're just arrogant" said Chris.

The group approached the gate of the fortress, where Trent was surprised to see a pair of soldiers from the Shadow Brigade guarding it. Chris readied himself"Let's drive them out of the forest, show we?"

Trent nodded, sending a shockwave at one guard"Demon Fang!"

"Hey!" the other guard shouted in surprise as his comrade got knocked down by the arte. Before he could retreat into the fortress and sound the alarm, Barry darted forward and stabbed the man. Both soldiers went down quick.

"Right, let's get in there" said Chris, leading the way. The rest of the group followed.

The fortress's interior had wooden walls and a marble stone floor. Trent looked around as they entered"So how could Zoldor build a base so close to the capital without anyone from Viola noticing?"

"Beats me" shrugged Shin.

The central room had several dark-clad soldiers being addressed by a blond-haired man with very pale skin. The man addressed them"Preparations are complete, I trust?"

"Yes, Sir Erich" replied one of the soldiers.

The man grinned"So now all that remains is for Sorceress Vanessa to enslave the Ursun with her infamous mind-control hex. Marshall Gareth, send a carrier pigeon to inform her of my plan. She can't possibly turn this one down."

"At once, sir" said the man in question.

Trent drew his sword as his group overheard the enemy speech"Oh no they don't."

"I got this" said Barry, readying his daggers.

"Huh?" Marshal Gareth stopped to see the group"What the? Intruders!"

Erich strode forward"Hm? Ah, some of Viola's dogs. And look, if it isn't the little half-pint Ursun."

Ursun tossed a dagger at Erich, who dodged and retaliated with a fireball. Shin got in front of Barry and deflected the fireball with his sword.

Erich frowned"How did... Hold on, those horns, that bracelet... Much like El Taire's. It looks like yet another Fel-Rae survivor."

Trent pointed his sword at Erich"Where are the prisoners? We know you captured some of the Ursun villagers."

The pale man smirked"You heard about that? Ah, their elder must have hidden from the surprise attack. Well, that was Kulgar's idea, not mine. Same goes for the attempt on the small Ursun's life. I do not serve directly under Zoldor's supreme empress, my people have been corresponding with Zoldor for some time, I like to be on the winning side."

"Kulgar? He's here?" asked Barry.

"In the flesh" said a cocky voice as a dark-furred Ursun stepped out of the shadows. He wore armor and carried a mace in one hand. Trent had a feeling this will be a fight he wouldn't forget.

"The prisoners are in the large-scale cells to the left, bound by Zoldorian energy walls. But you will not live to save them" grinned Erich, maliciously.

Chris readied himself"So you're the dark elf assassin that chased Barry out of his village."

Shin readied his sword"I'll keep those goons occupied. The rest of you can free the prisoners so they can maybe join in the fight. The Shadow Brigade won't know what hit them."

"Do you think to take on ALL of us?" snarled Kulgar.

Marshall Gareth attempted to slink off, only to be intercepted by Althea"Going somewhere?"

"Heh, what's it to you, cutie?" smirked Gareth.

In response, Althea launched a couple of punches and a roundhouse kick, knocking Marshal Gareth into the wall.

In retaliation, several Shadow Brigade soldiers charged, only for Shin to slash them aside with a swing of his sword. Althea rushed to join her companion"You're not fighting them, alone."

"Count me in as well" said Barry, standing near the Martial Artist and the purple-haired swordsman. The three charged at the remaining soldiers in the room.

* * *

Trent, Chris, Savannah and Jared headed left down a corridor until they came to a set of stairs on the left side. The Half-Elf led the way down until they came to a large room with several large-scale cells. Bound behind energy barriers were large bear-like creatures.

"That's them, all right" said Chris.

Trent went to the center of the room, looking around"So how can we free them?"

"Wait, look" Chris spotted a console and went over to investigate it.

Savannah looked over at the console in wonder"Hm. Never seen anything like this."

Chris looked at the console"There's got to be an off switch for the energy barriers. Zoldor is very clever, no doubt about it." Upon examining the console further, Chris fiddled with a couple red buttons and a lever. A 'whoosh' sound was heard.

Trent turned around to look at the barriers"Hey, looks like we opened the cells."

The half-dozen Ursun held in the cells emerged. One of them, a medium-sized female addressed the group"Thank you very much for getting us out of those dingy cells. Oh, you're not with the people who put us in there, are you?"

"No, we came to save you. Elder Garthmond sent us" replied Trent.

The female's eyes widened"Really? That's a relief. Hey, where's Barry?"

Chris smiled"He's back upstairs, fighting Zoldor soldiers with two more of our companions."

"You know him, miss?" asked Trent.

The medium-sized female Ursun nodded"He's my boyfriend. I knew he'd come back, but I never imagined it would happen like this. Oh, and I'm Tracia."

Trent smiled"Well then, Tracia. Can your people help us fight Kulgar and Erich off?"

One of the older Ursun in the room rumbled"Our weapons were confiscated. But if you find them, we'd be happy to assist."

Chris looked around until he saw a treasure chest sitting against a wall. Hurrying forward, he opened it to reveal a katana, mace, long twin blades and a boomerang. Bringing the weapons over, Chris addressed the Ursun"Here."

"Thank you" smiled Tracia, picking up the boomerang.

* * *

Shin hacked at the enemy soldiers while Althea backed him up with a flurry of punches and kicks at their enemy. Barry darted here and there, stabbing at the Zoldor soldiers. Erich watched with an amused smirk.

Kulgar growled and charged, mace ready to slam down at the Fel-Rae. Shin dodged and slashed Kulgar's leg, causing the rogue Ursun to stagger back. Infuriated, Kulgar swung horizontally, prompting Shin to jump backwards"Ha, you missed me."

Barry took out another soldier before lunging at Kulgar. The larger Ursun swung his mace, knocking the smaller Ursun to the side. Althea hurried to administer a Apple Gel to Barry while Shin slashed at Kulgar's chest. The larger Ursun stumbled back and furiously countered with a flurry of strikes. Shin blocked seven with his sword and back flipped to avoid the rest.

Erich stepped forward, hand outstretched as he prepared to cast a double fireball at Althea and Barry"As entertaining as this is, how about I just butt in? Burst of fire, incinerate my enemy, Double Fireball!"

Althea quickly grabbed Barry out of the way of the spell. Shin turned his attention to Erich, darting forward and punching the dark elf hard in the chest. Kulgar charged and slammed his mace downward, only for Shin to dodge and thrust his blade into Kulgar's leg for a moment, causing his opponent to collapse on one knee.

"My turn" Erich cast Aqua Laser and Fireball at the group, who dodged.

"Demon Fang!" Trent's arte suddenly came from the left corridor and caught the dark elf by surprise. Trent, Chris, Savannah and the previously captured Ursun joined the battle.

"What the? They're overwhelming us!" groaned a Zoldor soldier just before he was killed by one of the Ursun.

"Just use fire" said one of the soldiers, causally throwing a fireball at one of the Ursun. Chris quickly shielded the ursun, taking the blow for him. Barry stabbed the enemy soldier.

Trent was surprised when he saw the fireball"Some of the Shadow Brigade are dark elves? I know the light elves are very honorable and wouldn't do what their dark elves relatives did."

"Very perceptive. I told you my people threw in their lot with Zoldor" grinned Erich, who recovered and readied a spell"Tsunami!"

The group was thrown back by the sudden water attack. Shin was the quickest to get back on his feet and stabbed Erich. The dark elf staggered and cast another fireball, which the purple-haired Fel-Rae dodged.

Barry magically summoned forward over a dozen daggers, all pointing at Erich"Spirits of the wind, pierce my enemy with all your might: Punishing Blossom!"

Erich was pierced by the Mystic Arte, barely able to get out a word with his last breath as he collapsed"Impressive..."

Trent smirked as he cut down two remaining Zoldor soldiers"We won."

"Yeah" said Savannah.

Tracia approached Barry and gave him a hug"Barry! I knew you'd return."

Barry was astonished"Tracia... You didn't forget me? I couldn't do anything about that Assassin."

"But that was last year, you got stronger since. Your new friends are really amazing" smiled the female Ursun.

Two of the bigger Ursun grabbed Kulgar"You're coming with us."

The rogue Ursun sighed"So you won, Barry. I won't forget this."

"Accept it, you fumbled. You're hardly worth dirtying my blade, either way" said Shin, pointing his blade at Kulgar for a moment before putting it away.

The large group exited the fortress. Althea addressed Trent"Do you think the Ursun will help us against Zoldor, now?"

"Maybe, we'll see what their elder says" said Trent, thoughtfully.

The large group returned to the village with Kulgar still held in the grip of two of the other Ursun. The three entered the elder's hut with Trent, Savannah, Barry, Jared, Chris, Shin and Althea.

"How did it go? It went well, I presume" asked the elder.

Chris nodded"Yes, we drove out the Zoldor soldiers in the area and apprehended Kulgar. He was apparently responsible for the assassination attempt on Barry."

Elder Garthmond smiled"Well done, it was right of me to ask you for your aid."

Kulgar's eyes narrowed as he saw the elder"I won't forget the part you had in this."

"Kulgar, you still do not understand. If you do evil to others, others will do evil to you. I see that exile taught you nothing. Guard, put him in his room and lock it up, have Tracia tend to his wounds" commanded the elder.

One of the Ursun holding the rogue nodded and hauled Kulgar away.

Barry addressed his father"So I guess I'm an heir, again?"

Kulgar nodded"You still are, what you did was far cleverer than what I would've done. I am proud of you."

Barry smiled"Thanks."

Trent addressed the elder"When we initially came here, we meant to ask you a favor."

"A favor? What would that be?" inquired the Elder.

Trent replied"Barry thought you and the other Ursun can help fight the Zoldor imperial forces attacking Anorab to the south of Viola. Zoldor probably sent the men who invaded your village and captured most of your people. My companions and I were here on Queen Sasha of Viola's behalf."

The elder thought for a moment"Hmm. Very well, I'm sure my warriors will not object. We are in your debt. You may inform your queen that we will cooperate and meet her army at the border forest in Anorab territory. Barry, for your effort in helping our people in a time of great need, I shall abdicate my post as Elder to you."

"Ah. Thanks a bunch, but I'm not sure I'm ready" frowned the younger Ursun.

Elder Garthmond smiled"I believe otherwise, but I will not pressure you to take over until you feel worthy. Everyone, thank you for the service you've done for the settlement."

"It was no problem, Elder Garthmond. Thank you. My companions and I will return to Viola" said Chris.

Upon bidding the elder good-bye, Chris and his group departed the hut. On their way out, Tracia met up with them"Hey, thought I'd come thank you guys again."

"No thanks required" smiled Chris.

Barry addressed Tracia"I'll be going with these guys until Zoldor is defeated. I'll be back again."

"I'm sure you will, Barry. Just be careful" said Tracia, giving her boyfriend a kiss.

Trent, Barry, Chris, Savannah, Jared, Shin and Althea departed the village, heading southwest back to Viola.

* * *

That's that, another chapter officially done. Next one should take place back in Viola at first, and then in Anorab. I can't say much more without giving away too much. Barry, Chris and Savannah's pasts have been covered up to this point, and I did a bit of backstory for Stella. Shin and Arianna will pretty much remain a mystery, unless I can think of something. If you think I should cover all the characters to give them some backstory, please let me know.

**Chris: Feel free to review if you'd like.**

**Lloyd: When do you think Genis, Marta, Emil and Professor Sage will show?**

**Colette: Probably not until we get back to Silvarant, Lloyd.**

**Shin: Hey, did we just break a fourth wall?**

**Mike: Okay, now I'm really signing off. Until the next chapter.**


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